


Magnets

by Pixelbutterfly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Don't Like Don't Read, F/M, Fluff, Future Angst, Gen, General Nothingness, Humor, I Blame Tumblr, I might cancel all future angst, It's a fun time, It's all fun and games until some shit goes down, M/M, Reylo - Freeform, Stormpilot, but that's a lie, everyone lives and nobody dies, let's just add every tag under the sun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-05-19 17:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 33,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5975578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixelbutterfly/pseuds/Pixelbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey is a senior at Jakku University who fights against deforestation with Alliance Protests and Kylo is a lawyer working for First Order Inc.<br/>They are polar opposites, but even the strongest forces attract when they oppose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Slow Day

Rey sat in her apartment and wondered if she was really, truly out of her mind. Sipping her tea, she pulled her bare legs to her chest and adjusted her pajama shorts so that her entire bottom was covered. She wondered if her adoptive parents would approve of her wearing a tank top and mini-shorts in the middle of winter.

"Do you think it's weird that I told my parents that I'm staying here for Christmas and spending it with you and Finn?" she called out, knowing full well her roommate could hear her. The walls were thin in their apartment and Rey used that feature to her advantage.

"You need a boyfriend," Poe Dameron walked into their shared dining room, his gait proud. Rey could tell he got laid last night. Finn must have left before she had gotten up. Thinking back, Rey wasn't sure if she remembered Finn staying at all. Then again, she had to wear her noise cancelling headphones and press her pillow against her face to mute the sounds of sex leaking in through the thin walls. "You've been single for four years. You need more human contact."

"Not all of us are lucky to still be with our freshman boyfriends," Rey commented, watching as Poe poured himself a cup of hot water and tossed a tea bag in. He snorted and shook his head, dunking the tea bag in and out of his cup. "When did Finn leave?"

"Last night," he answered. "And you haven't even been trying," Poe made his way to where Rey was sitting and took the seat beside her. "Three blind dates a year and you reject every single straight guy we seem to meet. I'm starting to think you're a school obsessed loner." Blowing the steam away from his cup, Poe took a sip and Rey scoffed.

"Yeah, maybe that's why I have a 4.0 and you have a 3.0," Rey shook her head as Poe shrugged and the two clicked their mugs together. Taking a sip of her chamomile, Rey watched as Poe ran a hand through his curly hair. This conversation was one they had every week.

"You know I'm only in college to make my dad happy. As soon as this year's over, I'm grabbing my inheritance and sending my name to NASCAR," Poe said. "I was born to race, not work on Wall Street or be a doctor," he muttered.

The two drank their tea in silence, planning their days out in their minds. The quiet Saturday morning offered no classes, no work, and no obligations. Rey wanted to either stay in and read her box set of Homer's works or go to the Taekwondo academy she worked at part time and work on her technique. Poe felt obligated to take Rey out and introduce her to the captain of the lacrosse team. He seemed interested in her and Poe was not going pass up on a chance to get his best friend laid. She needed to get out more.

"Mrs. Solo and her husband said that they didn't need any help getting more signatures for the petition or gathering people for the protest, so we have the entire holiday to be stupid and get Finn to drink an entire bottle of vodka." Poe paused and wondered if it was safe to tell her about the blind date he'd set her up in before breakfast.

"I'm not going out," Rey stated, as if she read Poe's mind. Poe bit his tongue as he remembered Rey's innate ability to guess what other people were thinking with dead accuracy. She looked at Poe and shook her head. "I know what you're thinking and I refuse to meet another guy. I want to graduate and then think about-"

"I'll burn your Taekwondo uniform. I swear I'll do it this time," Poe threatened as Rey moved into the kitchen to scavenge their empty cupboards for any form of breakfast. They had recently emptied their food storage unit for a house party slash Thanksgiving feast that involved both roommates' parents, and four chickens as well as a late night brainstorm session for their protest group. It was now December and neither Rey nor Poe had thought about restocking their food supply.

"I'm getting McDonald's; what do you want?" Rey asked, slamming the fridge shut. Most of their electric appliances were found by Rey at the junkyard and required a bit of touching up. The fridge, for instance, needed a good slam to actually stay closed.

"My usual!" Poe shouted. "And you'd better not go out wearing that! It's snowing outside and you'll freeze to death!"

"Shut up, Mom!" Rey rubbed her shoulders and shook her head. "If I get you breakfast, can I be exempt from meeting the captain of the lacrosse team at the bar tonight?"

"Do you value your Taekwondo gear?" came the shout from another room. There really was no need to shout in their apartment, but the two managed to communicate through raised voices and insults.


	2. She Hates Late People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much fluff.

Rey pointed to the blue skirt on her bed and sighed as Poe shook his head again. "Rey, you want to look hot, not like a teacher from the 1800s." Popping his gum, Poe sifted between the pile of shirts on his lap. He sat on her desk, carefully keeping his hands away from the dismantled microwave that Rey was in the midst of fixing for their friend, Maz. Poe knew better than to touch any of Rey's projects.

Finn had caused the incident years ago, in their sophomore year. He had seen a clutter of sparkboards connected with cords and attached to Rey's laptop. Poe didn't know exactly what happened, but Finn was forbidden from touching any of Rey's projects and the dining room table had to be replaced.

Low on funds and living off of ramen and McDonald's; at the time, neither had enough money to even buy flashdrive. It was Rey's quick thinking that got them one of the nicest tables on the market. She and Poe struck a deal with the owner of the furniture store: in exchange for one table, they would fix his car. It was a done deal and Poe found that Rey was much better at fixing cars than he was.

Falling onto the ground, Rey groaned and shook her head. "We've been doing this for two hours!" She looked at her friend before pressing her face into her mattress. It smelled like vanilla and cat. Rey reminded herself to change her sheets once she got back from the stupid date. "I'm pretty sure the captain of the lacrosse team will like the skinny jeans," she pointed to the discarded pile of pants and returned her face to her mattress.

"Rey, I know that you will be confident in the perfect outfit. This is about you- not him. I want you to look better than _him_ ," Poe smirked. Rey turned her head and watched as Poe set her shirts aside and stood from her desk. He walked over to her closet and began sifting through it. He sorted through pants, shirts, vests, jackets, and the occasional skirt until her stepped out with a cream colored, knit sweater, and dark leggings. "Warm, cute, and you look good in cream. There we go."

"You know," Rey said, accepting the clothes from her roommate, "we could have avoided this entire fiasco if you'd just cancelled the date and let me go to the Taekwondo gy-"

"Rey, you have fifteen minutes before you're expected to be at the bar. How about we get a move on? Kev-I mean, your blind date just texted and said he's going to get there soon."

* * *

 

Sitting at the bar, Rey shifted in her seat and glared at her vodka. She felt beautiful. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Poe that anytime soon.

The cream colored knit he had chosen hugged her body, keeping her comfortably warm, but making her feel proud at the same time. Her legs were wrapped in forest colored leggings and a pair of heeled boots- her only pair of heeled boots- were on her feet. Rey sipped her vodka, waiting for her date to show up.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" a deep voice asked. Without looking up, Rey waved her hand at the person and shook her head.

"It's all yours," she sighed. Her vodka was dwindling and her date was late. Motioning to the bartender, Rey ordered another drink. Pulling her phone out, Rey called Poe… only to be sent to voicemail.

_Hey, it's Dameron. I'm currently away, so leave a message._

With a sigh, Rey began her message. "Poe, I've been here for thirty minutes, and he's not here. Whoever you set me up with is an asshole," she ended the call before tossing her phone onto the counter and reaching for her replenished drink and taking a large gulp.

"Hello," the man beside her said. Rey set her drink down before looking up at him.

The man beside her wore a black three piece suit and had messy, dark hair that reached his shoulders. His expression was analyzing and Rey suddenly found herself nervous. _Oh shit, he's hot_ , she thought. "Are you waiting for someone?" he asked.

Looking around for any sign of a lost looking, lacrosse playing type, Rey shook her head. "No, not anymore. May I help you?" she asked. The man's quizzical look focused on her. He cleared his throat before taking a sip of his whisky.

"I'm Kylo," he said and Rey nodded. _Strange name,_ she thought.

"I'm Rey," she replied, turning her to her left to face him. Rey was intrigued by the older man and she rested her elbow against the bar.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Kylo asked. He had arrived at the bar after a terrible day in the courtroom, looking for something strong. Rey had caught his eye as a single woman at the bar and he wanted to meet her. Her dark hair was wrapped in what looked like a series of twists and he found himself intrigued by her. Or was it attraction?

Rey pursed her lips and glanced at her half empty vodka. She didn't want to drink any more, but she did want to keep speaking with him. "Sure. Something weak, though."

Kylo's stoic face morphed ever so slightly into one of victory and he called for a Havana Beach. Rey thought the drink he ordered was stupid and _too_ weak, but she kept her mouth shut. She hoped her blind date would see her drinking with a stranger and leave- if he ever arrived.

"So, what do you do, Rey?" Kylo asked slipping a hefty tip into the bartender's tip jar. Rey was beginning to feel that Kylo wasn't just a regular guy in a suit. She felt as if she'd seen him before.

"I'm a senior at Jakku U," Rey said, accepting the fruit drink the bartender tossed together. She wondered if it would be impolite to not drink it. The fruity scent made it quite unappealing, but Rey took a tiny sip from the straw before setting the glass onto her coaster. "My major is in engineering. What do you do?" she asked, looking at Kylo.

He chuckled and shook his glass, irritating the single ice cube surrounded by whisky. "I'm a lawyer," he said and Rey nodded. Kylo returned his gaze to Rey and noted how beautiful her eyes were. They were like blue nebulae.

"Lawyer, huh?" Rey said, taking another sip of the sweet drink in front of her. She did not like the taste, but found herself wanting more. "I'm a part time Taekwondo instructor." Kylo nodded in what looked like appreciation, but Rey didn't feel like deciphering his expressions.

"That's very interesting," Kylo said and Rey smirked.

"Is it? I find the fact that I'm a humanitarian worker is much more interesting than that I teach bratty assholes how to kick wood," she said. Kylo was impressed.


	3. She got Laid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe comes home to an interesting turn of events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story, I'll picking and choosing parts from the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Clone Wars TV series, as well as The Force Awakens. Characters will be aged according to the story and a few might be brought back to life. Thanks for understanding.

Poe walked into the dark apartment late at night and crossed his fingers, hoping Rey hit it off with Kevin LaBrant. Tossing his keys into their shared key plate, Poe tossed his backpack into a corner, reached into the fridge for a beer, and froze when he heard a low _thunk_ , as if someone had dropped something.

Staying in place, Poe frowned and inched towards the light switch. The sound was quickly followed by a creaking sound and a muffled swear. Poe heard a man's voice. Then, someone moaned. Poe stood upright and smiled, stifling a laugh. Rey had finally connected with someone. Poe knew Kevin was right for her.

Turning all of the lights on, Poe went about his normal nightly routine with earbuds stuffed into his ears and his music on full blast. He texted Finn that he had arrived home and then went to his room to work on his resume. Poe assumed the black trench coat tossed onto the sofa was Kevin's and left it in its place. _Damn, Kevin had weird fashion tastes. I wouldn't expect a college kid to wear something so formal_ , he thought to himself.

The next morning, Poe waited in the living room with a mug in one hand and the DVD case for _Fast and Furious 6_ in the other. Taking a sip of the warm drink, Poe turned when he heard Rey's door creak open. "Kevin!" he called out. "What's up, du-" the man in front of him was not Kevin.

Kevin was blonde and had green eyes. Kevin was a lacrosse player. The man in front of him was dark haired, had a slight beard, and looked much older than Kevin. He was good looking in an unconventional sense and wore a rumpled suit. Poe assumed he was in his late twenties to early thirties. Raising an eyebrow, he addressed the man. "Hello," Poe said.

"Hello," the man replied slowly. His analyzing gaze fell on Poe. "Are you her boyfriend?" he asked, nudging his chin in the direction of Rey's room. Poe shook his head- where had he seen this man before? He felt uneasy around him.

"Nah, I'm the gay roommate that typically appears in these types of situations," he said and cleared his throat. "I'd offer you tea, but you seem to be in a rush."

The man frowned at him but shrugged and picked his coat off of the couch. "Yeah, my boss texted me and he needs me. I left Rey my number; when she wakes up, can you tell her why I left early?" he asked, slinging his coat on. Poe nodded mutely and watched as the man picked his car keys up off of the ground and hurried out the door, leaving silence in his midst.

"The fuck is his problem?" Poe wondered aloud, trying to match the man's face to a name. He had definitely seen him before.

It was a few minutes before Rey stepped out of her room in her usual pajamas. Her hair was a mess and she seemed to have a hangover. "Good morning," Poe offered his disheveled friend. "Who's the guy?"

Rey remained silent, pouring herself some hot water and tearing a tea pack open. "He's not the captain of the lacrosse team, that's for sure," Rey muttered.

"Yeah, what happened there?" Poe asked as Rey plopped down in the seat across from him.

Rey wasn't sure how she felt. One night stands were definitely not what she approved of, but there she was. Kylo had left earlier. Rey woke up when she heard the front door slam shut and knew she should have expected her stand to leave as quickly as possible, but then again… he _had_ left a note. "I went to the bar, waited, and then Kylo-"

"His name's Kylo?" Poe asked, raising his eyebrows. "That is some name," he whistled in mock appreciation and Rey raised an eyebrow.

"Says the guy named after Edgar Allen Poe," she snorted. She smiled at her friend as he gave her a long-suffering look. After a moment of silence, they continued speaking. "We had a few drinks, he said something about being a lawyer and I told him that I'm a part of the Alliance Protest branch against deforestation and then we started making out."

Poe laughed out loud, and shook his head. "And you guys just decided to have sex? Good for you, Rey! So, what's next?"

Rey sighed and looked at her mug. It had a picture of a crying tree on it- one of the free protest mugs had managed to find its way into their cupboards once again. Rey blamed Finn, but it was probably her fault for putting all of the leftover boxes from the convention beside the sink. "Rey, did you hear me?" Poe raised an eyebrow.

"What?" snapping out of her reverie, Rey nodded. "Oh, yeah, he um- Kylo left me his number and asked me to coffee on Tuesday."

Poe pressed a hand against his stubbly chin and nodded. "You have to pick Bilbo Baggins the Eighth up from the vet on Tuesday, but I'll do it since I'm so happy for you" Poe said. Rey laughed and shook her head.

"I can still pick the cat up from the vet; don't worry."

The sound of the front door opening caused both roommates to turn their heads. Finn stepped in with snow on his dark hair and three plastic bags in his hands. He wore a leather jacket and jeans "Merry Christmas Eve-Eve-"

"Finn, it's the 22nd!" Poe shouted, standing to greet his boyfriend. Rey grinned at the two and sipped her tea, allowing them the privacy of a turned head so the two could kiss each other. "Guess what happened last night?"

Finn set the plastic bags onto the dining room table and began unwrapping them. "One plate of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and grits for a very hot boyfriend," Finn handed a box to Poe and reached back into the bag. "One waffle with strawberry jam, a sunny side up egg, and two sausages for a very beautiful engineering major that helped me sell my broken iPad," Rey accepted the styrofoam container from her friend's outstretched hand with a smile. "And one English breakfast for an Englishman who is disappointed with the amount of beans on this plate." Finn sat down as the others opened their containers and Rey leaned over to examine his plate.

"God, you're right! Why are there so few beans? It's like half a tablespoon of beans!" she exclaimed. "Hold on, how many are- three, four, five, six- twelve beans!" Laughing, she accepted a plastic fork and knife from Poe and shook her head.

The three dug into their respective breakfasts, commenting about the weather. "So," Finn said with a tomato on his fork, "what happened last night?"

Rey rolled her eyes as Poe immediately lit up. "Rey got laid!" he shouted. Rey cringed as Finn's dark eyes widened and he dropped his fork onto his mediocre supply of beans. His mouth dropped and he looked incredulously from Poe to Rey.

"You're fucking with me. Rey, you got laid? Did you actually like Kevin?" he asked, and Rey rolled her eyes. "I thought you wouldn't like Kevin, but apparently you did? So what happened?" Poe leaned in closer, wanting to catch more details. He could not shake the feeling of distrust in Kylo, whoever he was.

Rey blinked and cracked her knuckles, preparing to explain what happened at the bar.

"We met, had a few drinks, talked for a couple hours and then started making out. The end," she said. Finn frowned and Poe shook his head.

"You're forgetting the part about how he left a note," Poe nudged her with his elbow as Finn's eyebrows rose.

"He left a note?"

"He left a note."

"Holy... Rey, the winds might be changing for you," Finn grinned and Rey shook her head.

"It was just a stand. I don't even know if I'm going to get coffee with him," Rey lied and Finn and Poe saw straight through it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe destroys a microwave and Rey gets angry.

Rey sat in front of Kylo with a latte before her. He had a cappuccino and Rey began wondering if meeting him was a mistake.

Kylo's gray winter coat was draped over the back of his chair and his black clothing added to his intimidating exterior. His casual-chic clothes were in stark contrast to Rey's white jacket and yellow turtleneck which were… just casual.

"I meant to ask you out to coffee first, but… I guess I was drunk," Kylo began their conversation. Rey sipped her latte and nodded.

"I guess I was too because I don't sleep with strangers," she replied. Their stiff conversation made Rey more and more uncomfortable. Lacing her fingers over her warm drink, Rey sat with her back stiff and her legs crossed. "So, Kylo, how old are you?" She knew he was older than her, but Rey wanted to know _by how much_.

Kylo chuckled and leaned against his elbows. "How old do you think I am?" he asked. Rey pursed her lips, staring at him. She contemplated the question and wondered how she would answer it.

After a moment of thought, Rey said, "Thirty."

Kylo nodded, taking a sip of his drink. He thought Rey looked lovely that afternoon. Her hair was braided over her shoulder and a few strands hung around her face. "Almost," he said. "I'm twenty-eight. You said you were a senior? So you're twenty-two?"

Rey nodded and ran her finger over the edge of her cup. Kylo seemed nice and Rey liked him. She just could not place where she had seen him before. "Rey, what country are you from?" Kylo asked. Rey found herself laughing softly; she knew this question would arise.

"Well," Rey leaned back against her chair. "I was born in London, but I was adopted when I was seven," she explained. "I guess I never lost my accent," she smiled and Kylo returned the expression. "Do you have any hobbies?" Rey asked. She wondered if she sounded too interrogative.

Kylo rubbed his chin and frowned. "Hobbies…" he echoed. He wondered if Rey would be freaked out by his slight obsession with his grandfather's World War II days. "I enjoy researching and looking into things related to World War II; specifically, my grandfather's involvement." That seemed like a sane enough answer. Rey wasn't running away screaming, so that seemed to be the right one.

"That's really cool," Rey said, her eyebrows raised. "What did your grandfather do?" she asked. She found her interest piqued and wanted to know more. Kylo seemed happy to oblige and began speaking animatedly.

"Well, he was a pilot- one of the best. He flew a Curtiss-Wright CW-21 called the Maybird, and a North American P-51 Mustang called the Maybird II. His first plane was blue, but the second was red," he explained. "My grandmother's name was Padme, but because they weren't supposed to be together, he used the last part of her name and named his plane after her." Kylo wondered if he was ranting, but Rey nodded and seemed fairly interested. "Tell me about you- do you have hobbies?" Kylo quickly changed the subject and watched as Rey nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. _Should I really tell him I like going to junkyards and fixing old metal things?_

"I like fixing stuff," she said. "Usually, friends will come by with broken computers, microwaves, and electric stuff, and I'll fix it. I also do cars. I'm much cheaper and much more efficient than a mechanic," she said proudly. Kylo looked impressed and Rey decided to continue. "I'm also a volunteer for the Alliance Protest organization," she said, almost missing the quirk in Kylo's eyebrows.

Their coffee had long since gone cold, but Rey found that she did not care. Kylo was by far, one of the most interesting people she had ever met and that was including Finn. He was a peculiar person, but she found that she liked that about him.

As time passed, Kylo found himself investing more and more of himself to Rey. He thought she was beautiful and charming, but there was something fiery about her as well. He was also very interested in her work as a member of Alliance Protest.

"You know," before she could continue, Rey glanced at her watch. It was a gift from Finn and Poe a few years back when they had seen her go through nine watches in a year. The watch could survive a nuclear blast and Rey was always proud to wear it. Right now, said watch displayed 3:00 and Rey realized she was late. "I have a class to teach in thirty minutes," she breathed. Kylo looked disappointed, but nodded.

"Am I keeping you? By all means, you should go," he said, suddenly worried. "Do you need a ride?" Rey almost laughed at him.

"It's fine; I have a car," she grinned, pulling her coat on. "I really enjoyed talking with you today." The two stood and Kylo held the cafe door open for Rey, letting her out first. She stomped through the snow and Kylo watched as she pulled a pair of keys out of her pocket and unlocked a white Jeep. After stowing her bag, Rey returned to where he stood and looked up at him, her breath turning white from the frigid air. She never realized how tall Kylo was. Now that she was standing beside him, Rey estimated there were about eight inches between them.

Kylo steeled his nerves and decided to ask her out to lunch on Christmas; he didn't have any plans anyways. As he opened his mouth, Rey began speaking. "If you're not busy on Christmas or Christmas Eve," Rey said, "do you want to get lunch?" she asked.

Kylo raised his eyebrows but nodded. "Sure," he replied "I'm free on Christmas," he said. Rey flashed him two thumbs up before looking at her watch.

"Fuck, I'm late," she swore. "Alright, I'll see you on Christmas. Bye!" she said and ran back to her car. Kylo waved before pulling his gloves on.

On the way back to his apartment, Kylo could not stop grinning. Every time he tried to steel his expression, he thought about the Taekwondo instructing, protest organizing, engineer majoring woman he had met and found himself smiling all over again.


	5. Christmas Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey enjoys Christmas, Kylo works overtime, and Han and Leia make their debut.

On Christmas morning, Finn woke up in his boyfriend's arms to the warm aroma of cinnamon and vanilla. Rey was baking- something she only did on birthdays and holidays. Today was going to be a good day.

Rey sat on the cold kitchen tiles, her back against the sink cabinets, and her feet pressed against the warm exterior of the oven where twelve of her famous cinnamon rolls were rising. She wore a tight fitting blue t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. With an apron on that said "Shut the fuck up," and a mug of peppermint hot chocolate in her hand, Rey imagined her parents would have heart attacks if the saw her wearing short sleeves while it was snowing outside.

Pulling the red and white striped candy cane out of her mug, Rey broke the sharpened tip off with her front teeth and chewed on the crunchy sweetness. She turned her head when Poe and Finn stepped into the kitchen, wide smiles on their faces. "Good morning," she grinned.

Finn wore a green sweater with reindeer butting heads on it while Poe wore a plain white shirt

"Merry Christmas," Finn said and Poe nodded.

"Morning!" he said, stepping over her legs to reach the coffee machine.

"I have cinnamon rolls in the oven and plan on baking three pies and a shit ton of cookies. That gives Finn enough oven time to bake a chicken and Poe, you get to do the sides," Rey said, standing up. She winced when her warm feet made contact with the icy floor and set her mug down on the counter top.

"Are we all alright with mashed potatoes, salad, and green beans?" Poe asked as he began brewing coffee. The steady purr of the machine drew BB-8 out of his cat nest and into the kitchen.

"I want macaroni and cheese as well," Rey said, picking the orange and white cat up. He purred beside her before glaring at Finn. Poe narrowed his eyes at Rey before sighing and agreeing.

A Christmas movie was playing on the TV, so while Poe and Rey prepared breakfast, Finn kept BB-8 occupied with the TV and attempted at brushing his fur. It was a strange thing, their relationship. BB-8 only allowed Finn near him when Finn was asleep. BB-8 would then snuggle close to Finn and then bolt before he woke up.

Poe scrambled five eggs in one pan and flipped pieces of bacon in another. He watched as Rey pulled the oven door open and withdrew a pan of delicious looking rolls- each one dripping cinnamon. Rey retrieved her mixing bowl and a spoon and proceeded with doling out large amounts of icing onto the steaming goodness.

The cat screamed and instantly, Rey laughed. She did not have to look back to know that Finn was caught trying to brush the cat's fur. They had been trying to integrate Finn more into Bilbo Baggins the Eighth's life, but after BB-8 caught Finn wearing one of Poe's jackets, Rey assumed he took him as a thief and decided to claw him.

"Poe, the cat scratched me!" Finn shouted and Poe chuckled as he pulled three plates from the cabinet overhead.

"Bilbo Baggins the Eighth still doesn't like you," he called back in response. Finn scoffed and tossed the cat brush aside.

"Why on Earth is the cat named after a Hobbit? And why is he called the Eighth?" Finn asked as he made his way into the dining room. The cat scampered into the kitchen and sat down on Poe's bare feet. Rey looked to Poe as she began clearing the table of yesterday's work: a malfunctioning computer.

"Yeah, Poe, why did you name the cat after a Hobbit?" she echoed Finn's question. Poe shrugged, nudging BB-8 off of his feet and bringing the plates over to the table.

"Every single pet I've had was named Bilbo Baggins," he explained. "It began with my dog, Bilbo the First. Then it was the iguana; then the fish; then the hamster; then the horse; then the peacock-"

"We get it, you're rich!" Rey called out as she plucked silverware from the dishwasher. After placing the forks and knives onto the table, Rey pulled a can of cat food for BB-8 and placed its contents into the china bowl reserved for the cat. Rey and Poe were the only ones BB-8 allowed near his food.

Sitting with Finn at the head of the table, Poe watched as his two best friends clapped for an amazing breakfast and dug in. He loved them both and was truly happy that the three could spend Christmas together, however unorthodox it was.

Due to an actual tree being a fire hazard as well as a dangerous cat toy, their Post-it Note tree was stuck to a wall and had shoddily wrapped parcels beneath it. Once breakfast was cleaned up, the three companions made their way to the living room, each holding an extra cinnamon roll and a mug of their preferred hot drink.

The tree was a creation of Rey and Finn's artistic talent. Made entirely of green sticky notes, it was Finn who designed and made the tree while Rey created a solar powered string of lights and star that stuck to the paper on their wall.

"Alright, presents! Let's see…" Rey picked the ones she wrapped and handed one to Poe and the other the Finn. "You get to open mine first!"

While Finn carefully undid the tape on his package, Poe tore through his. Poe pulled a rolled up sheet out and frowned at Rey's beaming face before beginning to undo the rubber band that held it together. Unrolling the sheet of paper, Poe's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "This is a signed Dale Earnhardt poster. It's signed. Oh gosh, I'm touching something Dale Earnhardt touched!" Poe turned to Rey with a slack jaw and shook his head. "How did you get this?" he demanded. Rey shrugged before saying, "Ebay."

Poe, unable to control his excitement, tackled Rey and a hug and the two fell over, laughing. "Get off of me, you jerk!" Rey laughed. "I have to watch Finn unwrap his!" she giggled.

Once Poe was calmly situated, he watched as his boyfriend pulled a box out from the wrapping paper. "Circuit Board and solar powered engineering starter kit, ages eighteen and up," he read out loud. Poe barked a laugh as Finn's shoulder shook with sarcastic laughter. "Ha. Ha. Ha. _Very_ funny, Rey," he said and Rey nodded.

"Now you won't have to touch my Circuit Boards because you have your own!"

The three spent all morning opening gifts and watching TV. Rey laughed when Finn gifted Poe with a set of bathroom stickers shaped like racecars and laughed even harder when Poe gave Finn a set of coloring books to fill in his spare time. "You're the best artist I know," was Poe's excuse.

Rey was delighted to find that Finn had painted and lacquered a new bo staff for her. It was painted with many trees and had a racecar and paintbrush on it. "So you'll always remember us when you go on to become the greatest engineer slash black belt slash badass in the history of badasses," Finn explained. Poe gave Rey pairs of gloves, some for sturdy work, and some for a chilly winter day, as well as a flashlight.

"Because you're a _Rey_ of light!" he exclaimed before cracking up at his own terrible joke.

Later on, Rey found herself in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess she made while baking and wondering what she forgot to do. There was a knock on the door. "Poe, can you get that?" Rey called.

Poe answered the door and standing in front of him was Kylo in a black suit. Poe blinked at the man and called for Rey. "Were you expecting anyone?" he asked as Rey swore.

"Shit, oh my gosh-" almost dropping a plate, Rey ran from the kitchen to the front door, colliding with Poe and almost knocking him down in the process. "Kylo!" she exclaimed as a laughing Finn helped Poe off of the wall.

"I'm guessing you forgot about lunch?" Kylo asked with an amused look. He looked at Rey's t-shirt and flannel bottoms as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes, I did. I'm so sorry- um, come in! I'll get dressed and- fuck!" Rey cried out as she almost fell over the cat.

Kylo stepped into the sweet smelling house and Rey led him to the living room. "Kylo, this is Poe, my roommate, and his boyfriend, Finn. Finn, Poe, this is Kylo Ren. Be nice to each other," Rey said and retreated into her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

Kylo sat down on the white sofa and cleared his throat as Finn and Poe stared at him. "Merry… Christmas," Kylo said and Finn nodded.

"Yeah, mate. Merry indeed. You're the first person she's been on a date with in four years," he said. Kylo felt his ego expand.

"We're not dating... and I don't think this qualifies as a date," Kylo said and Poe shook his head.

"It's a date," he stated. Poe watched as Kylo fiddled with the collar of his sweater and cleared his throat.

"Should I have gotten her a present?" he asked and Poe shook his head.

"Rey doesn't accept presents unless she's very close to someone. She might give you one, though. Means she doesn't think you're a complete psycho," he grinned as Rey's door opened.

Rey wore a striped shirt with white jeans and had a gray coat in her arms. She tossed her coat onto the sofa and made her way into the kitchen, snatching plastic wrap from the table. "Kylo, what kind of pie do you want? I have apple, blueberry, and cherry!" she called and Kylo raised his eyebrows.

"Rey, you really don't have-"

"Take the blueberry one," Poe whispered. Kylo turned to the younger man as he urged him to take a pie. "Rey only bakes a couple times a years and I promise you, it'll be the best tasting pie you've ever had."

Kylo nodded and looked back into the kitchen where Rey was placing a pie in a Tupperware container for him.

* * *

  


**1 hour before:**

Kylo sat in an early session in Alliance Protest's main office, wondering how every person there was available to sit in on Christmas. He had barely had time to down a coffee before before he was told by the CEO of First Order Inc., Mr. Alder Snoke, to go and discuss an impasse with the protesters.

"Alaska is out of the question," Mr. Ackbar said. Kylo glared at the bald man before shaking his head.

"We still don't have government permission on Alaska, so let's talk about things that actually make sense right now. California, for example," Kylo snapped. He pulled at his necktie and wondered if he could talk his way out of strangling Ackbar or his idiot partner, Calrission. "Hux, the files," Kylo looked at his partner and watched the redheaded man remove a manilla folder from his briefcase.

The warm conference room was well lit and very quiet. Glass panes surrounded them, but the curtains were drawn to keep peeking Alliance workers away and for that, Kylo was grateful. He did not have the patience to deal with prying eyes.

Kylo accepted the files from his partner and opened the first one. "Mr. Snoke is willing to forego the Sacramento spots in exchange for freedom in the African oil reserves," he said, pulling two documents out. Hux smirked and Kylo waited for the two other lawyers to read through the papers. Kylo's hand was fisted around his fountain pen and he was seconds away from snapping it.

"Absolutely not," Calrission said. He was outraged that Ren had the gall to even bring the African oil reserves. "The African reserves are non-negotiable. How can you want to negotiate humane working conditions?!" he demanded. Lando wanted to punch Ren's smirk off of his face. They'd been taking turns shouting at each other while reading documents for four hours; it was almost noon.

"How about you return the Sacramento spots to the government and then we can negotiate a way to keep our protesters away from the San Antonio area. You'll have your oil and you won't be disturbing any trees in Texas," Ackbar said, passing a document over to Ren. He crossed his fingers as Hux looked at Ren. They waited with baited breath as the two First Order lawyers read over the new papers presented.

Everyone wanted to leave. Ackbar wanted to be with his wife and sons. Lando wanted to be with his wife and their daughter in her first Christmas home from college. Hux wanted to go back to his office at the First Order building and play videogames with the door locked. Kylo needed the meeting to end as quickly as possible so that he could go to lunch with Rey.

"Hux, call Mr. Snoke," Kylo said to his partner.

It took a phone call to Snoke, a read through of all documents, and a third read through in order for Kylo to finally agree to the terms. "The Sacramento rights will be returned to the government, but I promise you, if I get word of one protester in seeing range of the Texan deposits, I will be suing you," Kylo threatened. The two other lawyers seemed unfazed.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Lando said and held his hand out to shake.

Kylo stared at the outstretched hand and shook his head, packing his briefcase. He was going to be late for lunch with Rey if he did not leave soon.

Once the signed documents were safely stowed in his bag, Kylo nodded to the other lawyers. "Hux, call me tomorrow," he said, pulling his jacket on.

After leaving the conference room, Kylo made his way back to the elevator, basking in the glares he received from the people that worked at the Alliance building. He even knew a few people and found that they were the ones that glared the hardest.

Pressing the button on an elevator, Kylo waited for it to arrive. The Alliance building was unsurprisingly unmanned, due to it being the holidays, and he hoped the elevator would arrive quickly due to its lack of manpower on Christmas.

When the elevator doors opened, Kylo frowned as a person with a box full of food pushed past him with a familiar sounding "excuse me."

Holding the elevator door, Kylo waited for another person with arms full of boxes to step out. The person turned and Kylo froze when he saw who the second person was. "Ben?" Han Solo looked hopeful and Leia Organa set her boxes down, her expression a mixture of surprise and worry.

"Ben, honey," Kylo wanted to run, but his mother was faster. She grabbed his hand before he could enter the elevator and pulled him backwards and into her arms. Kylo dropped his briefcase and blinked rapidly, trying to disentangle himself from her grasp. "Do you have Christmas plans? Are you alone? Ben, why haven't you called?" Leia asked and Kylo watched as his father crossed his arms.

"I have to go," Kylo managed to say. "I have a date," he gently pulled away from Leia's arms and picked his bag up.

Stepping into the elevator, Kylo pressed the button for the ground floor as his mother called out for him to return home.

Before the elevator doors could shut, a hand jabbed through the crevice and Han Solo stepped in. "Ben, why haven't you called us?" he asked and Kylo glared at him.

"I don't go by Ben anymore," he said. "It's Kylo, and I need to go." Han peered at his son and shook his head.

"Why do you go by your middle name? What's wrong with Ben?" he asked and Kylo rubbed his forehead. _Because I found out that it was a Kenobi that betrayed my grandfather and led to his death_ , Kylo thought.

"Mr. Solo, I really need to get going; my date will be waiting for me."

Han stepped backwards, hurt. He watched as his son adjusted his suit and closed the elevator doors. Standing backwards, Han felt Leia's hand on his shoulder as the elevator reached the ground floor. "It's Christmas and he's working," Leia sighed, picking her boxes up.

"Leia, we're working too," Han said as they made their way down the halls of the twenty-first floor. "We work every day and on holidays as well."

"That's because we have each other," Leia said to her husband. "Be- Kylo is alone and I don't like it. Ever since he graduated from law school, I just… Han, he hasn't been home since he started college and I want him back." Han opened the door to Leia's office for her, allowing her in.

"Well, Ben said that he had a date so maybe he's not alone for the holidays," he sighed. "Leia, our son's going to be fine… I just- I'll find a way to get him home, alright?" Han said with a smile. "Did you tell Rey, Finn, and Poe not to worry about anything until February?" he asked and Leia nodded, stacking the boxes of chicken and catered side dishes that would feed the people working in the Alliance building for the holidays. The savory smell of good food filled her office and Leia placed a hand on one of the boxes.

"Those three work too hard," she smiled, trying to push the thought of her estranged son aside. Leia thought of the three hardest working Alliance member and looked at her husband. "I heard those three weren't going home for the holidays. We should get them something for Christmas, maybe invite them over for dinner."


	6. Christmas Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same day as Christmas Pt. I  
> Rey and Kylo have fun times and Leia reminisces having a son.

"You look stressed," Rey said as she and Kylo walked together. After a slightly awkward lunch, they had decided to take a walk and were enjoying the lights that were set up around the neighborhood. "Did something happen?"

Kylo's bare hands were clenched into red fists and Rey wondered if his business suit offered any warmth. Kylo had said that he came straight from an early session at work. His suit was ill equipped to fend the cold and Rey raised an eyebrow as white fog shivered through Kylo's blue lips. He chuckled before shaking his head. "It's nothing. I just met someone I didn't expect to see," he said. Kylo pointed to a light display on a frozen fountain, "What do you think about that one? Looks a bit dangerous."

Rey frowned at the fountain and the lights that were strung onto the icicles that hung from it. "If the icicles melt, then there'll be problems with the electrical unit depending on the housing they're cased in. I'd stay away from it, though; you might get electrocuted."

Looking at Rey, Kylo grinned and nodded. "Duly noted." Kylo thought his nose was about to freeze off. His suit provided minimal protection from the bitter cold and Kylo had left his coat in his car for some idiotic reason. His gloves were in the glove compartment, and Kylo knew it was on his to-do list to buy a scarf. Rey seemed warm enough. She was burrowed into an enormous, green, scarf, as well as a wool coat. Her gloves matched her scarf and she beamed up at the sparkling lights that glimmered in the trees. Kylo looked up to try and forget how cold he was.

"Kylo," Rey said and Kylo looked down at her. He frowned as she unraveled her scarf from around her throat. The green knit pulled away from her pale neck and Kylo watched as Rey tossed it over his. "You should have brought your coat," she said, tying the scarf closer. Immediate warmth ensued.

The scarf smelled like vanilla. Kylo shook his head and tried to protest. "I'm really not- Rey, you don't have to-"

"Shush, you're cold," she snipped. Rey pulled her gloves off before stuffing them into her pockets. Kylo blushed when she took his frozen hands into her warm ones. He stared at her hands as they pressed around his and suddenly, Kylo could feel his fingertips again.

"Thank you," he said and Rey shrugged.

"No problem," she replied and looked around. "Why don't we get back to your car? I think the weather's only going to drop from here." Nodding, Kylo followed Rey as she began trekking back to his car. He did not fail to notice how she did not let go of his hand.

"Hey, Kylo, do you own anything that isn't black or gray?" Rey asked as they walked together. The parking lot was not far away and Kylo could see his black Mercedes from where they stood.

"Possibly," Kylo smiled. "You've probably only seen me in my work clothes." Pulling his keys from his pocket, Kylo unlocked the car and moved to open Rey's door for her, but stopped when she opened it for herself.

Kylo sat down in the driver's seat and rubbed his hands together before starting the ignition. "Where should we go?" he asked, looking over at Rey who was on her phone.

"Somewhere you can get warm," Rey replied. She turned her head to face Kylo and stared as his angry, red knuckles. "Hey, I'll drive. You should give your hands a break."

"No, it's fine," Kylo said, unwilling to give his car up to Rey. "I think a few minutes in the car will be alright." He placed the car into neutral before pressing his hands closer to the heating vents.

Rey stowed her phone into her back pocket and looked at Kylo rubbing his hands together. Reaching over, she held one of Kylo's hands in her own again and rubbed his icy knuckles.

They sat in silence, warming their bodies up. Kylo absentmindedly lifted his hand from Rey's grasp to push a strand of hair that had fallen, obstructing his view of her face. Rey looked at him with an expression of mixed amusement and rested her head against the back of her seat. Then, she leaned over and kissed Kylo, breaking through the awkward silence that encased them.

Kylo was surprised, but he was not unhappy. Holding the back of Rey's head, he returned her kiss, tasting her, and threading his fingers through her hair. Suddenly, Kylo's day became brighter and Rey was the reason why.

* * *

Leia smiled at the college kids in her home and wondered if this was what it was like to have one's children return home for Christmas.

After a few phone calls and texts, Finn and Poe were situated in her house; Finn in the kitchen with her, and Poe with Han setting the table. Rey had called to say she would be running late, so an extra setting was placed. Leia's brother, Luke, would be joining them as well as a few of their friends from Alliance. Even Han's friend, Bacca Chu, would be flying in from Korea to spend Christmas with them and to help Alliance with its First Order problem.

Bacca was an extremely hairy man who was raised in Korea. Leia had no clue when, but somehow, he and Han met when Han was still smuggling exotic creatures. Leia also had no idea when Han learned Korean, but when it was clear that Bacca could only _understand_ English, she assumed Han's skill would finally come in handy.

The five bedroom house was decorated with hundreds of twinkling lights and wreaths hung from every door. Leia had made sure every conceivable surface was polished and that her unruly husband was washed and presentable- something easier said than done.

Looking out the window, Leia watched as a white and gold, antique Cadillac with a plate that read C3P0 pulled into their driveway. "Han, Luke's here!" Leia called out, wiping her hands.

Stepping outside into the snow, Leia ran over and pulled her brother into a fierce hug. "Luke! It's been years!" she exclaimed. Luke's dog, R2, scampered out of the car and barreled into Han, almost knocking him down.

"Hey, Leia," Luke had grown a beard and his eyes were marked with crow's feet, but his smile remained constant. "Where's Ben?" he asked and Leia shook her head. "Is he still not back?"

"Ben's not going to be joining us... And he goes by his middle name now," she explained. "But none of that. We'll have loads of time to talk about my son later. Right now, I want you to meet the great minds of the future of Alliance," she beamed.

It took another hour for everyone to arrive and while Finn and Poe explained their majors to Luke and Chewie (as Han preferred to call Bacca), Leia peered out the window for Rey's white Jeep to arrive.

The turkey was prepared, but it was not Leia who showed her usual prowess in the kitchen, but Finn. Finn had taken over Leia's job and made some of the best sides Han had seen in a very long time. The house was filled with delicious scents and the Christmas tree glimmered with lights. Beers were passed around and the first round of appetizers were served. Chewie was already hitting it off with Poe; the two shared a love for fast cars.

Han approached Leia and put a hand on her shoulder, staring at the window she was peering out of. "Looking for Rey?"

"She said she would be a little late… I hope she's alright," Leia said and heard a small laugh. She turned to see Finn looking guilty, his hand covering his mouth.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized. "It's just that- Rey's good at taking care of herself. Plus, she's probably late because she was on a date when you called. She's probably on her way now," he said and Leia nodded. Han moved into the living room to speak with his old friends.

Just as she was about to turn away, a black Mercedes pulled into her driveway, stopping. Snow flurried in front of its white front lights. It was hard to see who stepped out of the car in the snow, but Leia watched as a tall man and shorter woman stepped out of the car. "That'll be her," Finn murmured. The two spoke for a few moments and Leia crossed her arms and smiled as the two outside her window kissed. The man returned to the car while Rey, waved and walked towards the front door.

Rey shook snow from her hair as she entered the warm house and beamed at the other guests present. Poe was the first to reach her and he held his hand up for a high-five. "Why were you late?" he asked and Rey shrugged.

"I was doing things," she said, and pulled her jacket off. Poe chuckled and opened his mouth to give a snarky reply, but Rey beat him to it. "And Kylo was not ' _things_ '."


	7. Bluetooth and Microwaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe destroys something, Rey gets mad, Kylo receives an unexpected guest. Oh, and Finn discovers a dark secret.

Poe wondered if his experiment would actually work. Flipping through pages on Finn's new iPad, he checked each link and made sure each version of the experiment provided the same results.

Finn was in the living room, playing video games, and Rey was at the gym. Finn's headset would block most of the noise entering from the microwave, and Poe knew Rey would not be back for another hour. Wednesdays meant spinning along with Taekwondo practice.

Unwrapping the bar of soap Poe had Finn buy, he set it in the center of the microwave, on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil, and shut the door. Poe's hand smelled like cucumber and aloe vera, but he ignored the scent to punch the numbers into the panel.

Standing back, Poe watched proudly as the soap began to bubble and froth. The white bar foamed as it began unraveling. "Holy shit…" he whispered as the soap split and continued to expand. What was once a white bar was now a meringue-like mound.

Then, the foil began sparking and Poe's eyes widened. "Oh shit," he repeated as it caught fire. "Fuck!"

The microwave began smoking and more popping sounds ensued. Acting quickly, Poe leaped forward, unplugging the microwave. The fire quickly extinguished itself, leaving behind an acrid odor of burnt metal and soap. It was seconds before Finn ran into the kitchen, his hand covering his nose, and his eyes wide. BB-8 scampered past Finn and ducked beneath the couch. Finn gagged before holding his shirt up to his nose.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, fanning the air around him. "What did you do?"

"I don't know! I found an experiment on the internet-"

"Rey is going to blow her top!" Finn exclaimed as Poe ran to open the windows around the house, ignoring the flurries of snow that blew in.

The boyfriends flew through the house opening every window, and shouting at each other what their next step should be. "Poe, you've broken that microwave three times and Rey said the next time it broke, she'd chuck the remains at your head," Finn said as the smell seemed to grow worse.

"I did," Rey's voice sounded from the front door as she dumped her blue gym bag into the ground. Covered in sweat, Rey adjusted the black belt on her white Taekwondo outfit and surveyed the damaged kitchen, gagging before pinching her nose. Aside from the microwave, nothing looked harmed. Poe and Finn stared at her as she walked over to the broken machine and opened the door, pushing past the burnt remains of aluminum foil and soap. "Aluminum foil in a microwave… Poe, how did- what-" Rey shut her mouth, shaking her head; controlling her anger and nausea. She gagged again.

"It was an experiment on the internet. I put soap in a microwave," Poe explained, crossing his arms. Rey sighed as she continued to check the smoldering box.

"My guess is you busted the magnetron," she growled. "We're going to need a new, Poe-proof microwave." Standing, Rey picked the microwave up and moved to her bedroom, setting it down onto her desk. "I'll see if there are any parts on it that I can use. Otherwise, it's going to junk."

Returning to the kitchen, where Poe and Finn stood, Rey retrieved her car keys and sighed. "I can't think or see straight in this horrible smell. Good God, you two are going to kill me. I'll shower somewhere else," she said, looking into her gym bag for her spare set of clothes.

"Are you going to go to Maz's house?" Finn asked, referring to their old friend and benefactor. Rey shook her head.

"Maz is still in Japan. Everyone we know is still with their families because classes don't start till the fourth," she thumbed her chin and Finn pursed his lips.

"Well, my apartment is being fumigated. That's why I'm here. You could always go to… Kylo's house," he raised his eyebrows and Rey shook her head.

"No."

"Why not?" Poe asked and Rey scoffed.

"Because we barely know each other and it would be weird if I showed up to just take a shower at his house," she protested, but Poe was already shaking his head.

"You guys kiss and hold hands. That technically already counts as dating," he gave Rey a pointed looked. Rey stared at her friend and bit the the inside of her cheek.

"I can still chuck the microwave at you."

"Go shower. You're sweaty and starting to smell like dead microwave. I'll deal with the rest of cleanup, so go and spend the day with your boyfriend," Poe gave an uncertain laugh as Rey's piercing glare fell on him.

"He's not my boyfriend," she snapped.

* * *

"Hey, Kylo, it's Rey," Rey massaged her aching temples as she called Kylo from her car.

"Rey! How are you?"

"Well, Poe murdered our microwave, so now I need a place to shower and stay without feeling like I'm going to throw up every five seconds. I guess that means I feel terrible. Can I go over to your place?" she asked, cringing her eyes. There was a moment of silence before Kylo replied.

"Sure. I'm home right now. You can drop by any time you want."

* * *

Kylo opened his front door and saw a sweaty Rey standing before him in a Taekwondo outfit, her hair knotted in three different buns. She smelled like burnt plastic as well as cucumbers and her foul stench was almost perfectly masked by the massive glare on her face. "Hello, there," Kylo said and Rey offered him a small smile.

Kylo wore a red t-shirt and gray pajama bottoms. His dark hair was loose and what looked like a mini building block was stuck to his right hand.

"Hi," she pecked him on the lips before stepping inside Kylo's luxurious apartment. "I'm sorry I smell so bad. Aluminum and burnt magnetron aren't my usual choice in perfume," she joked. Kylo laughed, his hand moving to touch the collar of her uniform. The shirt split in the center and revealed a yellow sports bra.

Rey had never been inside Kylo's house before, but she deemed it too spacious for one person. The modern loft was full of natural light and a black leather sofa sat in front of a pristine coffee table and a large, curved TV. A white lamp with an abstract shade sat in the corner of the living room and the kitchen was sparkling stainless steel. Everything was state-of-the-art and everything seemed brand new.

Around the house were model planes and there even was a framed black and white photo of a young man with long, dark hair, standing beside a plane. Rey wondered if this was what Kylo meant when he said he enjoyed looking into planes and is grandfather's career in aviation.

"Your TV still has the plastic wrapping on it," she noted as Kylo closed the door behind them.

"What? Oh, yeah," Kylo rubbed the back of his neck and Rey looked at the dining room table that matched her own. It was littered with pieces of wood and a half built model plane sat on it along with a laptop and stacks of binders. "I might have broken the other one when I lost a client," he muttered. "Can I get you a drink? Or do you want to shower first?"

Rey chose to shower first and was led into the master bathroom. Kylo claimed it was the only one equipped with toiletries, but Rey found that she didn't believe him. The apartment was almost twice as large and five times as expensive as hers.

The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of the house. Rey shed her uniform onto the marble floor, trying to interpret the labels on the multiple bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. _He has more beauty products than me_ , she thought with a smile. _That's kinda cute_. The shower had two heads positioned above her and five all around. There was an entire control pad that dictated each motion the bathroom provided and Rey found herself resisting the urge to skip her shower and take the control pad apart to see how it worked around the entire bathroom. _Probably Bluetooth enabled_ , she thought, pressing a button for hot water. _Though… how expensive would it be to make an entire bathroom Bluetooth enabled? Does it work with the toilet?_ Pushing the button with the toilet on it, Rey turned to see the seat and top going down automatically. _It could be a lever-pulley system but that's archaic… God, I want to take this bathroom apart._

Prying her hands away from the addicting tablet, Rey stepped into the hot water and allowed it to douse her body.

Once Rey determined the burning stench was off of her, she dried herself with a towel and changed into the gray sweatshirt and black yoga pants she'd brought along with her. Tossing her Taekwondo uniform into her bag, Rey stepped out of the steam filled bathroom and made her way through the master bedroom, noting the unmade bed and stacks of History Today magazines. She found Kylo sitting at his table and reading over a legal document on his laptop while trying to assemble the wing of his model plane. "... the logistics of the transaction were lost… the accounts were disabled… fuck." Kylo swore as the tip of his plane fell off.

"Having fun?" Rey asked from behind. Kylo turned and grinned as Rey sat down beside him. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a thing for WWII aircrafts. I think I've seen six model planes so far," she said, her voice laced with humor. Kylo touched Rey's damp hair and smirked as she picked up the plane's instruction manual. "Very IKEA based instructions… The setting is based on a fulcrum type stand," she said, reaching for the plastic triangle that was to be the stand.

"Engineering majors think differently, huh," Kylo asked as Rey began disassembling the clear plastic.

"It'll look better as an equilateral prism," she said, placing different pieces together. "The plane will be at a better angle and give it an actual floating feeling."

Kylo accepted the newly fashioned stand and placed his plane onto it, noting that everything Rey had said was correct. The plane's finished wing covered the edge of the triangle and created a shadow, making it look as if it were hovering in mid-air. "Perfect," Rey said, leaning back into her chair.

"So, how exactly did your roommate break your microwave?" Kylo asked continuing to build his plane.

"He put a bar of soap on aluminum foil and microwaved it. There was a fire, the soap overflowed, and somehow, Poe managed to break the magnetron. But I guess part of it is my fault for keeping that microwave. I knew the magnetron was already pretty unstable, so I should have tossed it but… what other microwave can make popcorn in a minute?"

"Hm, a plausible explanation," Kylo shut his computer and stretched his arms. "So, you said you were into humanitarian work? You said you were part of Alliance, right?"

"Yeah," Rey smiled. "We won the case for logging rights in Sacramento and plan to turn it into a trail for the locals." Kylo almost grimaced as he thought back to the four hour meeting that resulted in that bargain.

"That's great," he managed to say. "Are you planning on anything else?" he asked and Rey smirked.

"Why are you asking?" she wondered, her voice sly. Kylo chuckled as Rey reached for the manual once more.

"I just wanted to get a better feel of what you do in your spare time," Kylo ran a hand through his hair and Rey began to laugh.

"I'm kidding! We've been talking about bringing the subject of Alaskan oil to Congress to make it negative ground; First Order hasn't made a move for it, so we're probably going to rally Congress for it while they're occupied with Texas. But then again, there are more pressing things like African mines and suitable working conditions around the world."

* * *

"Do you think she's still mad?" Poe asked, his head in Finn's lap. Poe looked on as Finn flipped through channels on the TV.

"She's at Kylo's house. I'm sure she won't try to kill you when she gets back," Finn muttered, setting the channel to CNN. "I feel like I've seen Kylo before. He's too familiar."

"I know, right?" Poe sat up to get a better view of the TV. The two watched as reporters flocked around a podium in front of First Order Inc. "The second he walked out of Rey's room, I just had a wall of deja vu hit me in the face."

_We now have footage from the statement that was released yesterday by CEO, Alder Snoke._

They watched as the doors to the building opened and three men stepped out. Alder Snoke was an extremely tall man with white hair and wore a gray suit with a bolo tie. To his left was a man with red hair and a militaristic demeanor, Hux. Poe had a bone to pick with Hux ever since he called an anonymous bomb threat at the convention he had planned. Poe had no evidence, but he was sure it was him. To Snoke's right was… Kylo Ren.

Finn's jaw dropped as Snoke approached the podium and accepted a statement from Kylo. He rested his hand against the dark wood sides of the podium before he began speaking.

_"After much discussion with Alliance Protests, my team of lawyers have worked hard to find an impasse. We are happy to announce that we have made a clean exchange of rights with them. Sacramento, California will be returned to Alliance in exchange for free mining in Texas. First Order Incorporate works hard to keep gas in your cars and electricity in your home! Any and all questions will be answered by my associate, Mr. Kylo Ren. Have a good day!"_ Finn shook his head as Snoke returned to the building and Kylo Ren stepped into his place.

"That's- he's… Poe, we gotta tell Rey."

_"Will you comment on the African mines that are claimed to be in use of child labor?"_ a reporter shouted.

_"No comment,"_ Ren's glib reply sent the reporters into a frenzy.

_"What legal procedures took place for this decision to be made?"_

_"My team of lawyers and I met with the legal team from Alliance Protests and after many hours of negotiation, we agreed to allow Alliance the Sacramento rights. After all, what would we, a mining company, do with trees?"_ Poe's hands curled into fists as Kylo continued to answer questions.

"We have to tell Rey."


	8. Alaska

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We look into Finn's backstory as he and Rey fix Poe's car.

On January 5th, Leia Organa sat in her office, sifting through the paperwork needed for a transfer of secretarial power. She planned on pulling Rey into the organization for a full time job and then pulling Finn up in rank . Her phone buzzed and Leia set her stacks of work aside to look at it. She gaped at her phone when she read the text.

_-Leia, First Order is making a move to rally Congress into allowing them the rights to the Alaskan oil grounds. What do we do?-_

"Lando!" she shouted. "Lando!"

Lando Calrission burst into Leia's office, an iPad in his hand. "Did you see the-"

"Why is the First Order making a motion for the Alaskan grounds?! I thought they weren't going to-"

"I thought so too!" Lando exclaimed, shaking the iPad in her face. Han stepped into the office with a frown.

"What's with all the yelling?" he asked, setting a few documents onto his wife's desk.

"Alaska! Alaska is hanging by a thread!" Leia slammed her hands down onto her desk, rattling the paperweight Ben had made for her when he was in middle school. "How did they know we were about to motion for the Senate to give it to us? They must have known, otherwise they wouldn't have tried for it! Lando, didn't you say B- Kylo gave up on Alaska talks?"

Lando nodded with fervor and Han shook his head. "Then why are they going for Alaska?!"

"Bala," Leia called for her secretary, "get Ackbar on the phone!"

Han shook his head as Lando began pacing and Bala paged First Order to Leia. Who could have tipped them off?

* * *

Finn sat in the parking lot with a mug of steaming coffee in his hand as he watched Rey jack Poe's Ferrari up. The red car was sleek, beautiful, and was also sporting a blown tire as well as internal malfunctions. "First the microwave and now this," she growled.

"You could save yourself the trouble and just send it to a mechanic. He has enough money for a mechanic, you know," Finn said as Rey opened her tool box. "Oh wait, that's right, you get turned on by fixing cars-" Finn flinched when a metal nut flew toward his forehead.

The snow had finally stopped and while Poe was away, meeting his parents for the weekend, he was paying Rey to fix his car. "How did you get a tire anyways?" Finn asked, rubbing his freezing hands over his mug. It had a crying tree on it. Finn knew he accidentally placed a few of the protest mugs into Poe's dishwasher. He knew the answer to his question before he even asked it.

"Ebay," Rey snapped as she opened the top of the car, examining the contents of the trunk. "For a car fanatic, you'd think Poe would care about his 'baby' a bit more than this."

Finn nodded, pursing his lips. His parka provided him with warmth, but he wondered if Rey's sweatshirt and leggings kept her warm at all. He could see her breath as she examined the trunk. "If I were Poe, where would I put my spare flashlight," she muttered to herself.

"Glove compartment," Finn called out and Rey moved toward the driver's seat.

"You know, as a prank, we should pretend we sold his car," Rey's muffled voice came from the front of the car and Finn laughed, the air around him misting into a fog and sharp, cold air entering his lungs.

"Where would we keep the car? It's kinda hard to hide a Ferrari and I'm not quite sure it'd fit in the back of my truck." Rey bit the flashlight in her hand before making her way to the back of her car.

"I wath being fathethious," she said through the metal in her mouth. "Why the cuck ith there no…" Finn sipped his coffee as Rey swore her way through the workings of Poe's Ferrari.

"You know, Mr. Chu-"

"Chu Bacca," Rey called out, the flashlight dropping from her mouth. "He prefers being called Chu Bacca." Finn nodded and continued.

"Apparently he's staying until the January convention. Says he's going to be making a large donation towards anti-deforestation. Did you know he and Han used to smuggle exotic animals? I didn't," Finn grinned as Rey's head poked out from behind the car.

"No kidding, he said that? That's pretty cool," she commented, reaching for a wrench. "I got a peek at Han's garage and I shit you not, I saw Poe tear up when we saw Han's Falcon F7. It was silver and Poe said it was called the Millennium." There was a clank as Rey dropped something and Finn scoffed, finishing his coffee.

"Han Solo, the husband of badass extraordinaire, Leia Organa, former smuggler, now a top humanitarian worker won the Kessel Run Drag Race in fourteen miles? I don't believe it." Finn wondered if now was the right time to tell Rey. He wondered if he should tell Rey about the man she was seeing and wondered if she would react against Poe's car.

"Twelve," Rey corrected him and Finn shook his head. He postponed telling her the truth and hoped Poe would get to it. "So, is Leia treating you well at Alliance?" she asked.

Finn was the only member of their group who was paid to work at Alliance. He worked as a coordinator for Leia while Rey and Poe were her unpaid networkers.

Rey loved Finn's backstory into Alliance and knew that it was one he would definitely tell his future children.

Finn wondered if fate had led him to Poe and Rey, or if it was a well placed letter of resignation.

* * *

_Before he worked at Alliance, Finn was an intern at First Order Incorporate. He had worked with a group of other interns and frequently complained about how their head administrator, Pauline Hasma, was the work of Satan himself. One day, Finn had followed his group to Manhattan and was made to explain to other lawyers that deforestation was a necessary part of life and that global warming did not exist. That was when he snapped._

_Finn located the envoy Alliance had sent to negotiate with Kylo Ren: Lando Calrission, and told him his story, explaining how he no longer wished to work with First Order and how he wanted to return to Jakku, the city he was from. He had already sent P. Hasma a letter of resignation and grabbed his bag from the hotel room he shared with two other interns._

Rey always laughed whenever Finn told the next part.

_Finn had flown from Jakku to New York City and had no way of returning. Sensing this random First Order intern's dilemma, Poe Dameron, Lando's assistant, offered to drive him back._

_"You need an unpaid Uber."_

_"I need an unpaid Uber."_

_"I'm Poe Dameron."_

_"Faulkner Newell," Finn had said._

_"Faulkn- what? Dude, can I call you Finn?"_

_"Finn…" Finn had beamed as he stepped into Poe's Ferrari. "Yeah, I like that. It's way better than Faulkner. Because I was obviously born in the 1800's."_

_"I think you and my roommate would be best friends."_

* * *

"What's going on here?" a voice called from behind and Rey looked up to see Lando Calrissian walking towards them, his hands jammed inside his coat and white steam curling from his grimacing mouth.

"Hey, Lando!" Rey shouted as Finn waved. Calrissian's pinched expression unfolded into a smile as he made his way to where Finn sat.

"You two fixing Poe's car?" he asked and Finn shook his head.

"She is. I'm just keeping her company. What brings you to college town, Mr. Calrissian?" Finn set his mug down as the lawyer sighed.

"Implications," he said, outright. "First Order's going after the Alaskan grounds. Can you guys come to Washington D.C. next weekend? Most of Alliance is flying out or driving tomorrow and I think it'd help to have you two there. Can you come?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

Rey shut the back of the car and picked a rag up to wipe her hands. She frowned and contemplated what she had on Saturday. "Well, I know I only have two classes for the rest of the semester, so I'm free. I can go. Poe will go because he hates school and Finn…" Rey turned towards her friend who nodded his assent.

"I'll be there."

"What's with First Order going after Alaska all of a sudden? Do you know why?" Rey asked and looked at Finn. Finn raised his hands, shaking his head.

"Don't look at me, I was just an intern. I literally worked there for like, four months," Finn exclaimed and Rey shrugged.

"We can drive to DC in my car," she said and Finn nodded slowly. _Kylo will probably be there,_ he thought. _Damn, I should tell her._ Lando clapped his hands together with a smile.

"Alright. Hotel and arrangements are going to be handled by Alliance, and I'm really glad you three are coming. We're going to need all the help we can get if Leia is going to get in front of Congress."

Finn released a small laugh and clenched his hands together, wondering how in the _hell_ Rey was going to find out about Kylo Ren.


	9. The Fish Might Have Died

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo have loving chats

"How was class?" Kylo asked, sitting down beside Rey. She sat barefoot on his couch and was flipping through channels on his TV. Resting an arm around her, Kylo felt Rey shrug and lean her head against him. Her laptop was open over her crossed legs and he watched her search the components of a two stroke engine.

"Do you know about two stroke engines?" she asked in return. Kylo shook his head. "Class was good. I managed not to lose all of my knowledge over winter break so the return quiz wasn't too much of a disaster for me. Finn said he got to sketch all day because his professors were out and Poe had to talk to people about things other than cars. How was your day?"

Kylo's eyebrows creased when he thought about the belated Christmas present Hux had set onto his desk before leaving his office. Inside a beautifully wrapped package was a stack of repair and replacement bills from Kylo's bursts of anger.

_Repair_ _:_

_One (1) Oak desk with broken cabinets_

_One (1) fish tank- if irreparable, replace_

_Four (4) medical fees for the Koi you injured when you threw a mug into the koi pond_

_Replace_ _:_

_Two (2) Swarovski swans on P. Hasma's desk. $804.00 x 2_

_\- A card of apology is also owed and Pauline says you owe her lunch._

_Eight (8) Snowflake Ocellaris Clownfish $39.99 x 8_

_One (1) Samsung desktop monitor: $349.49_

_One (1) LG desktop monitor: $387.00  
_

_One (1) 9 ft by 8 ft, glass office pane: $152.98_

_Total: >$2,812.41  
_

_Merry Christmas & Happy New Year_

_-Hux_

Kylo knew his boss, Mr. Snoke, would take care of the costs, but that meant nothing when he knew his friends, Phasma and Lee _fucking_ Hux, would be gloating around every turn. Snoke always took care of Kylo's problems as long as he took care of his.

"Good," Kylo said. "Work was good. Are your hands alright?" he asked, pointing to the bandages that were wrapped around Rey's slim fingers. She did not cease typing into her computer to answer.

"My left hand is because I was careless and accidentally brushed my hand over my saw while grabbing my wrench. My right is because I hit a stack of wood the wrong way at work. Some kid bumped into my while I was doing a demonstration," she explained. "Nothing's broken, but I might have sprained my wrist and cut a few of my fingers on the broken wood."

Kylo took Rey's left hand away from her keyboard and gingerly held it in his hands, examining the wrappings. "I'm glad you're alright," he said. Rey nudged her chin into his collarbone in response.

While Kylo watched a documentary on Hitler, Rey worked on her essay. Which did she think was better? Two stroke engines or four stroke? Today, _Wikipedia_ was her biggest ally.

"I'm leaving for Washington D.C. tomorrow," Kylo said out of the blue. Rey looked up from her laptop and then at him. Kylo turned to see Rey with a very surprised look on her face.

"Really?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Because I'm going this weekend," she said. Kylo muted the TV and leaned closer to Rey, their noses almost touching. Kylo knew exactly why she was going. Rey was going to help his mother rally Congress against his cause. Kylo was going to help rally Congress behind Snoke; against _her_ cause.

"Why?" he asked. Rey smirked and kissed the tip of his hooked nose.

"I'm stalking you," she said and returned to her screen. Kylo laughed.

"You're better company than most. By all means, stalk me to D.C."

"Hm," Rey appeared to be thinking. "Too bad I have work there too. You'll have to pull me away from _my_ work."

Moving to drape his arms around her, Kylo pressed his face into the cleft between Rey's neck and shoulder, breathing in her natural scent.

Rey never wore perfume and Kylo loved that she didn't. Instead, the smell of vanilla and green tea lingered in her clothes and hair. He kept close to her, breathing deeply. She calmed him. Kylo felt Rey's arm move as she typed on her laptop.

"How will you get to D.C.?" Kylo murmured, looking at the computer screen before him. There was a diagram of a complex looking machine and it made Kylo's head hurt trying to decipher it.

"Poe, Finn, and I are taking my car. What about you, Mr. Lawyer? How are you getting to this nation's capitol?" Rey closed the diagram and found her essay on a different page.

"I'll catch a ride on my boss's jet with my co-workers," he replied and Rey snorted.

"You're taking a plane to a city that's four hours away?"

Kylo had thought about driving, but he decided against it when he remembered he would _only_ be using his car to get there. He would most likely be trapped in an office, listening to Congressional hearings and reading over political polls to see which left-winged senators he could snag into accepting deforestation in Alaska. The right-winged ones would follow like ducks. Therefore, the use of a car would be negated.

"I decided the plane would be faster," he replied and Rey scoffed a laugh.

"And I just decided you spoil yourself."

"Do I?" Kylo mused. He kissed Rey's cheek and neck before slowly setting his hand down on her laptop, shutting the screen. "I think I want to spoil myself now," he murmured and Rey laughed at his seduction technique, turning to meet his lips with hers.

"Too bad I need to turn this essay in by tomorrow. Ask me again after tomorrow," she said, re-opening her computer and leaving Kylo to lick his wounds.


	10. Rainy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo have a talk and Poe accidentally blows a secret.

**Friday:**

"No, I didn't fail," Rey laughed into her phone as she walked out of class. She gripped her phone with the barest tips of her fingers and tried avoiding the bandages that were taped around her hands.

"That's good," Kylo said and Rey laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose it is. So how's the weather in D.C.?"

"Bye, Rey!" a classmate called out and Rey turned to wave at her peer, pulling her backpack further onto her shoulder. The pavement was slick with ice and Rey stepped over clumps of snow with caution, making sure she did not slip. Her boots were worn from heavy use and Rey hoped she had enough money saved up for a new pair of boots.

"Rainy," Kylo said distastefully. "And my co-workers are wearing on my nerves. Phasma's interns are all over the place and I can't seem to find anyone that will replace my coffee machine."

"Bye!" Rey waved back to her friend. Returning to her call, she walked towards the student parking lot. "Poor you. So, do you want to meet in D.C.? I'm driving there tonight," she said, digging her keys out of her pocket. She searched the student parking lot for her car and wondered which level she parked on.

"Sure," Kylo replied. "You can stay at my hotel suite if you want." Rey frowned as she found her car on the third storey, and unlocked it before tossing her backpack into the trunk and pulling her heavy coat off of her shoulders. Throwing the jacket in, Rey walked to the front of the car and hoisted herself into the front seat. Her car was too big for her, but Rey liked it that way.

"Are you sure about that?" she questioned him. "What will people think?" sliding into the front seat, Rey jammed her keys into the car and pulled out of the space.

Kylo frowned into his phone and set it down onto the countertop, pressing the Speakerphone button. "What will people think?" he repeated."What do you mean?"

"What are we? I want a clear, concise answer," Rey said and Kylo bit his bottom lip. He looked into the mirror in front of him and rested his cheek against his cold knuckles. Summoning the courage to do what he had been meaning to do for a while, Kylo decided to ask Rey to be his girlfriend.

"Well, I'd like for us to be dating, but that depends on your consent," he smiled. "As a lawyer, I find my answer was concise enough. May I ask for a verdict, your honor? Can we begin a romantic relationship?" Kylo said towards his phone, leaning against his elbows against the white marble countertops of the in-room bar offered with his suite. He wondered what Rey's answer would be. He truly wanted her to say yes to his proposition. Closing his eyes, Kylo waited.

There was a moment of silence and Kylo listened to Rey's car hum, his fingers crossed. "Yes," he beamed at Rey's response, "Yes, I think we can add a label to our already romantic relationship. Now stop talking to me," she laughed. "I'm driving and I need to grab Poe before I get home."

"Alright," Kylo felt like a teenager and his smile remained constant. The call ended and Kylo remained still, composing himself. He turned and surveyed the suite he would be staying in for the next few days and made a note to clean the stray dress shirts and sport coats off of the furniture before Rey arrived.

Rey shook her head with mirth as she drove through the school and navigated towards Building One. Her car was one of the largest on campus, but Rey found that having a four-wheel drive was very convenient when going through junkyards and driving over ice.

She saw Poe standing outside of Building One and honked to get his attention. It did not. Rolling her window down, Rey shouted, "Poe!" and sat back when he began pushing through other students to reach her car. His leather jacket stood out against the parkas and winter coats everyone else wore and Rey rolled her eyes when Poe slipped a pair of sunglasses on. He reached the car and took the seat beside her. His curly hair was tied back with one of Rey's hair ties.

Rey had agreed to drive Poe to and from his classes while she was fixing his car because she had classes in Building Three while Finn was in Fourteen. This had lead to early morning arguments on who would drive, stops for coffee, and both of them being late.

"What's up, Rey?" he asked, tossing his backpack into the backseat. "How was genius class?"

"Good and Washington D.C. is what's up," Rey pulled away from the building. "We're leaving today and I want to make sure we get there before dinner," she said. "I won't be staying in the same hotel as you," she said and Poe raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked and Rey sighed.

"Because my new boyfriend also happens to be in D.C. and we've decided to stay together," she said, expecting a fairly happy reaction from Poe. He remained still. Rey glanced over at Poe to see that her friend had paled and looked considerably worried. "Poe? Are you okay?"

 _Fuck,_ Poe thought. _Fuck, they're dating. Do I tell her…_ "He works for First Order!" Poe blurted. He regretted his words as soon as Rey stomped on the brakes, sending an un-seatbelted Poe into the windshield. His head collided with the glass and his shoulder slammed against the dashboard.

"What?" Rey demanded as Poe fell back into his seat. A car honked as it passed by and Poe groaned, rubbing his neck.

"Dude, that was mean," he muttered and Rey pressed on the accelerator.

"I'm sorry, I just… you caught me by surprise. What do you mean by 'he works for First Order?'" she asked, taking a right. Poe strapped himself into his seat before replying.

"I mean, Kylo Ren was on CNN, a couple days ago, defending Alder Snoke and explaining how he and Lando butted heads for hours to get the Sacramento deal out of the way," Poe explained. Rey shifted gears and stopped in front of a red light. "So… you two are dating now?" he asked carefully.

"Yes, we are," Rey said and Poe nodded slowly, trying to get a hold of the awkwardness in the car. Rey looked deep in thought and her eyes flickered back and forth as she went over her jumbled thoughts. "Fuck! This is all my fault!" she shouted. "I was the one that told Kylo that we were going to try going after Alaska! That's why they beat us to Congress!" she cried out. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Poe didn't like seeing Rey so frustrated. She hardly ever lost control and when she did, he did not like the effects. "Hey," he rested a hand on her shoulder, "it's not your fault. You didn't know," he said and Rey nodded, pulling into the parking lot of their apartment.

"Let's grab Finn and our bags," she sighed, stopping the car. "Make sure to get BB-8's food too." Poe nodded and stepped out of the car. He did not fail to notice Rey's slouching shoulders as she leaned against her car and pressed a hand against her eyes.


	11. The Interrupter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey confronts Kylo and the Interrupter interrupts.

The silence was tangible and it was weighted down with an angering truth.

Poe stared at Rey as she drove, a permanent frown on her face and her eyes darting back and forth, thinking. She exuded anger and betrayal, and BB-8 perched himself onto her lap, swishing his orange tail over her abdomen. They had driven in silence for three hours and it was beginning to wear on Poe's nerves; he hated silence.

Their bags were in the trunk and Finn sat in the back, wondering if Rey was going to break up with Kylo once they reached D.C.

The Jeep lurched forward as Rey violently shifted gears and BB-8 peered up at her, his black eyes shocked. "Hey," Finn said from the back. "Rey, do you want me to drive?" he offered, but Rey shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine," she muttered.

Finn sat back as Poe began reading the itinerary required of them when they arrived. "We don't have anything today, but tomorrow, it's all about Leia. We need to keep her on schedule, keep reporters away, and see if there are any politicians roaming around. Leia standing in front of Congress is the endgame. We're only staying till Sunday, so that means we won't be able to see Leia on stage."

"I think Lando just wanted us there so we wouldn't wreak havoc while he was gone. Plus, it's been awhile since we've actually done something big for Alliance," Finn said. "We're going to have a hard time keeping the interns in place. That's one of our jobs, isn't it? Making sure no one is slacking off."

Rey chuckled as Poe groaned. He had a history with clingy interns. She and Finn always sat together and laughed as the female interns mobbed their classically handsome best friend and boyfriend (respectively). "The interns don't- I swear, if one more intern comes up and asks if they can take care of BB-8, I'm going to kill something."

Finn laughed from the back and Rey's tiny smile grew a fraction. Her phone buzzed and Poe looked at the screen to see "Kylo" calling.

"Ignore it," Rey commanded, her grip on the wheel tightening. "I'm not in the mood to talk to him."

"What are you going to do about this?" Finn asked. He sincerely hoped Rey would not break up with Kylo after only a few hours of dating. She seemed to light up when he was around and Finn enjoyed seeing his best friend happy.

"I'm going to talk to my boyfriend," her reply was simple and Finn worried for Kylo's life.

* * *

Kylo opened the door to his hotel suite and smiled down at Rey, "Hey," he said, leaning in to kiss her. She ducked away from his lips and Kylo raised his eyebrows at the hand that she placed against his chest, pushing him back. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Rey's light brown hair was tied back and she wore a gray coat with jeans and furry boots. Her jacket was slightly wrinkled and her eyes looked tired.

"Are you using me?" she asked, her voice careful.

"What?" Kylo laughed, leaning against the heavy door frame. "Using- Rey, what are you-"

"Are you using me for information?" she demanded, her glare fierce. "You work for First Order, I know you do, Kylo. Are you using me? That's all I want to know," she said, holding the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Kylo shook his head, trying to push away how beautiful Rey looked when she was angry. He could hear her breathing deeply, steadying herself. "I don't… Rey, I didn't speak to you at the bar because I knew you were part of Alliance. I spoke to you because I thought you were beautiful and needed someone to talk to," he explained but Rey shook her head.

"I don't want to hear about how we met, I just want to know that if you decided to use me after I told you I worked for Alliance," she growled. Kylo leaned against the doorway and sighed. There was no running away.

"In the beginning... yes," he stated. "Yes, I wanted to see what information I could get from you, but I don't anymore," he said quickly. "Rey, I truly feel something for you and I really like you as a person. Please, can we discuss this inside?" he asked.

Rey looked at her boyfriend and resisted the urge to slap him. She wanted nothing more than to break up with him and wash her hands of this mess, but one thing was stopping her- Rey liked Kylo. She liked him more than any other guy she had been set up with by Finn and Poe, and she liked him enough to sleep with him before she even knew how old he was or anything about him- for that matter.

Kylo was worried he was going to lose Rey after only a few hours of dating. He was worried she was going to leave him and he would be alone. Kylo was afraid.

Sighing, Rey uncrossed her stiff arms and shook her head. "Kylo, I… I want to make this work. I want for us to be together and I want to have a relationship with you." Rey decided to be an adult. She decided that she was going to overlook Kylo's past deeds because it was before they were dating. She decided that was going to forgive him.

"I do too," Kylo said, his voice quiet and Rey knew he was being sincere. "There's nothing more that I want."

"We need to promise not to lie to each other. Or use each other," Rey stated, looking up into Kylo's eyes. "We keep work politics out of our relationship, got it?"

"Absolutely," Kylo's response was immediate, never considering the other untruths he had told her. Then, he moved forward and wrapped Rey into a large hug, holding her against his chest. Her small body fit inside his and Kylo breathed in relief when Rey returned the hug. "I missed you," he whispered and Rey's grip tightened.

"I did too," she said. "Kylo, please don't make me regret forgiving you." She lifted her gaze before pressing a hand against his neck and standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him. Their lips met and Rey felt Kylo's hands run through her hair as she pushed him into the suite, closing the door behind them.

Rey's hands roamed over Kylo's body and she shed her coat onto the ground as he began unbuttoning his shirt. They continued kissing with fervor as she kicked her shoes off. Slipping her sweater over her shoulders, Rey lurched forward when Kylo fell backwards against the sofa.

She unbuttoned her pants, shimmying them to the floor before moving to straddle Kylo's waist and drag her nails down his pale, smooth chest. "We haven't had sex in a while," Rey said in between breathless kisses.

Kylo laughed as Rey unbuttoned his pants and cupped the bulge in his underwear. "You seem excited," he nipped at her bottom lip and dragged sloppy kisses down her throat. He stopped to suck on her collarbone and throat, leaving dark roses around her neck. Rey's eyes closed and she sighed as Kylo's hand entered her underwear, stroking her wet folds. "You like that," he muttered as Rey lifted herself onto her knees, wrapping her arms around Kylo's head and pressing her chest to his face. She could hear his appreciation.

He nipped at her breasts and Kylo grinned up at Rey, listening to her gasp when he slid a finger inside her.

The two were so enraptured in each other, they did not hear the door being opened. "Ren, I need to see the-" Rey's eyes snapped open and she turned to see a man with flaming orange hair standing in the foyer, a file in his hand. She stifled a gasp as the man turned around so that his back was to them, reactionless. Then, he cleared his throat and continued. "I need to see the Democratic files as well as the Canadian agreements."

"Dammit, Hux, can't you see I'm busy?" Kylo groaned as Rey pulled away from him. She scrambled for the nearest piece of clothing- which happened to be Kylo's shirt- and pulled it on, shutting the front. Her cheeks were flaming as Hux chuckled.

"I can see that. Don't let me stop you from having your fun."

"Get out!" Kylo shouted.

"Not until you tell me where the Canadian files are." Kylo's partner was calm and steady. He wore a black suit and had a wet coat tucked beneath one arm.

"Why do you need the Canadian agreements? Didn't we settle those?" Kylo asked. Rey remained beside him, listening.

"The senator from Oregon wants to know where Canada stands on us logging in Alaska. Says she won't make a decision without their opinion. The President is pro Alliance, though, so we might run into trouble is she vetoes the bill."

"It's safe to assume Mothma will veto the bill. Just keep an eye on her advisors for any telltale signs. The Canada files are on the kitchen counter. You should leave so I can get back to fucking my girlfriend," Kylo said, his patience growing thin. Rey closed her eyes.

" _You_ have a girlfriend?" Hux laughed. "I can't wait to hear about this one. My apologies, miss," Hux addressed Rey as he snatched the manilla folder off of the countertop and turned to leave. "Oh and Ren?" Hux asked, looking back at his friend. "Be careful; Snoke sees all." Then, he left, leaving an embarrassed Rey and an annoyed Kylo behind.


	12. She Don't Need No Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has no use for male assistance. Phasma approves.

Finn stood in front of Suite 506 with Rey's suitcase, waiting for someone to open the door. Rey had texted him, asking if he could bring her suitcase up, so Finn dispatched immediately, leaving his boyfriend to fend against the interns by himself.

The door opened and Kylo Ren stood in front of him, shirtless, and with messy hair. "Hey, Finn," he said, out of breath. Finn did not want to know the details.

"I brought Rey's suitcase. She's staying here, right?" he asked, handing the bag over to Ren. Kylo accepted the bag with a nod.

"Yeah, she is. Hey, I don't know if she told you that I-"

"That you work for First Order? Oh, we told her. And anyways, it's none of our business," Finn shrugged. "She likes you, man. I want my best friend to be happy."

Kylo nodded again, this time more slowly. "Are you going to threaten me?" he asked. "You know, 'don't hurt her, or we'll hurt you' stuff?" he asked. Finn frowned and rubbed his chin. He contemplated Kylo's question, wondering how he would respond to it. Would he really threaten Rey's boyfriend?

"You do realize Rey is a 3rd degree black belt, right?" Finn asked and Kylo blinked.

"She did tell me she was instructing Taekwondo," he said and Finn nodded.

"Rey is perfectly capable of capable of kicking your arse if she wants to. She doesn't need us to protect her and she never did. But, if you want to go old school… Don't mess with Rey or else she'll flip you onto your back and I'll be there to give her a ride back home," Finn said and Kylo nodded. He leaned forward, peering at Finn's face. Kylo knew he found him familiar.

"You used to work for First Order, didn't you? You were the one that quit, right?" Kylo asked, examining Finn's face. Finn stared back, defiant. He didn't like how Kylo merely thought of him as "the one that quit", but it seemed logical. Finn had been the only one to ever leave an internship at First Order and it had been a surprise to many.

"I'm against everything First Order stands for because I've seen your shit first hand," he snapped. Kylo remained passive, nodding slightly.

"I respect that," he said with a smirk. "Not your view of my workplace, but your vehemence. I guess we'll be seeing each other more-"

"Kylo, it doesn't take fifteen minutes to accept my luggage," Rey appeared beside Kylo, reprimanding him. She looked at Finn and beamed, pushing Kylo away to hug her friend. "Thank you for bringing my bag," she said.

"No problem," Finn shrugged. He looked at Rey's too-large, black bathrobe that hung past her knees and chose to ignore the red marks on her throat. "We Brits have to look out for each other, don't we?"

Rey smiled and nodded. "We do. See you tomorrow?" she asked.

"Absolutely. Six AM, tomorrow morning. See you, Rey! Bye, Kylo." Finn waved before leaving, making his way towards the elevator. The door shut and Finn shook his head, chuckling at the couple.

* * *

The next morning, Poe dressed in a button down and slacks- something he had not done in quite a while- as well as a tie. The tie had taken up most of the time he had allotted for getting prepared, but it was Finn that saved the day.

Poe munched on a blueberry bagel smothered in cream cheese as he sat in on an early meeting with Lando, Leia, Han, and Chu Bacca. Finn sat beside him and Rey was sipping from a steaming paper cup to his left as Mr. Ackbar explained how First Order had situated its base of operations in the Marriott next door to the Hilton they were staying in.

"Poe, we need you to intercept Lee Hux and somehow stall him before he reaches Senator Biden and tries to convince him that deforestation is a good idea," Ackbar stated. Poe nodded, swallowing some coffee. "Finn, you're going to be taking care of Kylo Ren. We know that he's the only one Snoke trusts to deal with both of Alaska's senators. Keep him away from them or distract him." Poe met eyes with Finn and then looked at Rey who sipped her tea. "Rey, we're going to need you to follow Bacca-"

Chu Bacca growled something to Han who shook his head, "Yeah, Chewie says to call him Chu Bacca or else nothing at all."

"My apologies, sir," Ackbar tilted his head in the large man's direction. "Rey will go with Han and Chu Bacca and you three will be on news duty. If any news organizations want an interview, I'll send them to you, Rey. Han can talk his way out of any situation, so keep him on Bluetooth and Ba-Chu Bacca, excuse me, will be on foreign press. We want to make this as big as possible."

* * *

Hux glared at the pretty-boy that distracted Senator Biden from afar. In the marble floored, artistically domed Capitol building, his target was already being chatted up by a curly, dark haired, emerald eyed college kid with a suit that cost too much to have come from his own pocket. Poe Dameron was the itch in his mind that refused to go away.

Taking a few steps forward, he adjusted his composure and pasted a smile onto his face. "Mr. Biden!" he shouted, holding an arm up. Jogging forward, Hux maintained his false smile and went to shake the white haired man's hand. He wondered what Ren was doing.

"Hello, sir," Hux said, shaking the man's hand. "My name is Lee Hux and I'm here on behalf of First Order Incorporate to see how you would feel about giving your vote in favor of logging and mining for oil in Alaska," he said.

"Well, like I just told this young man, I have made my decision and will keep my decision quiet until it is time to vote. Thank you for taking the time to speak to me, though," Biden patted Hux on the shoulder and it took every ounce of Hux's willpower not to growl. He could tell why Kylo destroyed his office so often. There were fewer legal implications in attacking a desk than attacking a senator.

"That's fine by us, sir. We at First Order know that you will make the right choice based on the needs of your constituents. Have a good day." Hux's smile was slipping and he needed an out. Turning around, he felt the back of his coat hit his thigh and marched away from the other men. Hux hated company and going out and recruiting supporters. He was much more comfortable ordering interns around making them do the dirty work for him.

Hux envied Ren. Kylo was assigned to two senators and then he would be stuck in an office for the majority of the day. Hux wanted to be inside the quiet of an office, calling for Pauline Hasma (or Phasma as Kylo and Hux had taken to calling her) to send groups of interns on missions in his stead.

Hux, Kylo, and Phasma had a strange relationship. Hux had attended law school with Phasma and two years into their term at Harvard, were joined by none other than Kylo Ren himself- an engineering drop out.

They lost contact after graduating and while Phasma and Hux were recruited by Alder Snoke in the beginnings of his company, Kylo went to co-own his own law firm, Ren and Associates. The firm lasted six months before Kylo sold his associates out and merged his company with First Order, a large corporation in need of good lawyers.

The three friends were reunited and all was well. They fit with each other. Now that both Phasma and Kylo had significant others, Hux was happy being the only single one. He was also extremely pleased that no one was nagging him to date; living with his cat was enough.

Sitting at a restaurant, Hux waited for Phasma and Kylo to arrive. He had ordered a glass of water and it sat on the table- still full- with drops of water sliding down the sides.

"Have you ordered yet?" Hux looked up from the condensation on his plastic cup to see Phasma sitting down in front of him, her short blonde hair and makeup perfect- as always. She wore a silver jumpsuit and red blazer. _Ever so fashionable_ , Hux thought to himself. He wondered if it was a British thing. Phasma needed to be on top of everything in order to control the vast number of interns and workers that First Order employed around the world.

"No, I was waiting for you and Ren- who is late," Hux reached for a menu and handed it to Phasma; he already knew what he wanted.

She accepted the slip of thick cardstock and examined it, tapping her glossy nails against the table. "So, what's this I hear about our dear Emo having a girlfriend? Is she a distant relative on his grandfather's side? A robot? Or perhaps another World War II fanatic?" Hux could see her eyes skimming over the menu, searching for the right lunch.

"None of the above," Hux looked up at the sound of a deep voice to see Kylo standing beside him, his dark suit casting a shadow on the table.

"Sit down, you're blocking my light," Phasma snapped. "So, your girlfriend isn't a psycho like you. Is she an actual human?"

"Hux should know; he walked in on us having sex," Kylo stared pointedly at his friend and Hux shrugged.

"I have a key to your room so that I can get work done. There's nothing else to it." The menu in Phasma's hand dropped and she raised an eyebrow.

"So she's real? What's she like?"

Hux looked at Kylo and raised an eyebrow.

"Her name is Rey Kryze and she's a senior at Jakku Uni-"

"A university kid?" Phasma asked. She looked at Hux who merely shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "Well, at least she's of legal age. So, tell us more."

At that moment, a waitress dropped by and the three placed their orders. A Reuben for Kylo, a BLT for Phasma, and a grilled cheese with tomato soup for Hux.

"You're so picky," Kylo said as Hux wiped the water that pooled around his cup off of the table.

"My Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is what keeps our entire division running," Hux replied dryly. "Continue with your story. Let's hear about your Alliance girlfriend."

Phasma raised her eyebrows in shock. "She works for…" leaving the sentence open, she waited for Kylo to respond. "Kylo, you know that Snoke sees all. He's not going to let you off easily if he knows you could be giving her information."

Kylo fiddled with the straw in his Pepsi and heaved a sigh. "I know what the consequences are, but I think Rey is worth it. She's smart, dedicated, is an engineer, and is also a third degree black belt."

"You're lovesick and she can kick your arse," Phasma grinned. "I like her already."

Hux looked at the multiple TVs lined against the walls of the restaurant and turned his head towards the one that aired CNN. "There she is," he pointed towards the young woman being interviewed on screen. "That's her."

Kylo turned and grinned when he saw Rey. She was speaking to a reporter about the importance of blocking deforestation and he thought she was damn good at what she did. He could not wait to see her for dinner.

"She's an eloquent speaker, I'll give her that," Phasma's voice was distant as Kylo focused on Rey. "And a fellow Brit. I think she's perfect for you, Emo."


	13. Evil Overlord Kylo Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets to meet the parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter in an hour. Take that, procrastination!

Leia and Han entered the restaurant arm in arm. The two were finally taking a break from the massive amounts of work they had to kick back and enjoy a nice dinner together in the heart of the nation. There would be distractions and no buzzing phones. It would be just the two of them together in a quiet restaurant. The would talk about their separate days, what they did, and there would also be wine involved.

They sat at a table for two and ate their respective dinners, occasionally reaching over to nab bites of each other's food.

Baroque music lilted through the warm atmosphere, passing by couples, families, and other diners. The restaurant's chandeliers were dim and they cast a glow upon the handsome face of her husband.

"You know, I don't think Rey even needs me," Han said. "She flew through those interviews solo without a single cue card or any help from me."

Leia nodded and smiled, taking a sip of her wine. "I plan on offering her a full time job at Alliance as soon as she graduates. I'd offer one to Poe as well, but he seems set on being a racecar driver."

"The kid's going to be one of the best," Han said knowingly. "I've seen my fair share of races and drivers, but Dameron is a damn good driver and he'll definitely make it into the big leagues. Finn said he's going to stay with us after he graduates. That one may outlast the other two," Han chuckled. "Look at us, Leia, we're talking about them like they're our kids," he sighed.

"Well," Leia tried to find words. She tried to find an excuse for treating the three youngest members of her inner circle like her children, but she knew she and Han were filling the gap their son had left behind.

Resting her chin against the palm of her hand, Leia looked past her husband and at the couple that was happily enjoying dinner a few tables across from them.

Something about them seemed familiar and Leia squinted her eyes to make out who they were. When she registered their identities, it took all of Leia's willpower not to react in surprise.

"Han, behind you, three tables back is a couple," she whispered hurriedly. "It's Ben and he's-" Han immediately turned the 180 degrees required to see his son holding the tan, freckled hand of a girl he knew well, accepting a bite of dessert from her.

"He's with Rey," he finished the sentence for his wife.

His son was with Rey. Rey was with Ben. Rey was with Ben and he was smiling. Ben was smiling. Han felt a pang in his chest and he watched Ben chew and grin. Rey was smiling back at him and the two laughed at something she said.

"That's our boy," he heard Leia whisper. "And he's on a date with Rey."

Han realized that after Ben had left home, in the limited times he had seen his son, Ben was always wearing a constricting suit and glaring. Now, he wore a dark green sweater with jeans and smiled as he stared at Rey. "He looks so happy," Han murmured.

"He does," Leia said. The two sat, entranced, as they watched their child grin and laugh and joke. His smiles eased the ache in their hearts and the loud bark of his laughter made them smile as well.

* * *

Rey giggled like an idiot as Kylo explained how he had crashed his first car into a tree. "It was terrible! Stop laughing," Kylo exclaimed through his own laughter. "I was too scared to approach a car for another three months!"

"I'm sorry!" Rey struggled to breathe and she could feel a few people eyeing her. "It's just- you hit the accelerator instead of the brake and-" she paused as another bout of laughter overtook her. "That poor tree!"

They split the check even though Rey knew Kylo wanted to pay for it in its entirety. "Kylo, there are many things I think are amazing about you, but your unwillingness to share is not one of them, now give me the bill," she had said.

Rey felt a presence on her back like a weight and she turned as Kylo helped her into her coat to see Leia and Han sitting a few tables away from them. Leia turned her head away from Han and they met eyes. Rey was split for a second; no doubt either Han or Leia would recognise the head lawyer for First Order… but Han and Leia were like her second family.

"Is something wrong?" Kylo asked as he slung his coat over his shoulders. Rey felt her mouth run dry, but shook her head. _No more lying,_ she thought. _We promised not to lie anymore._

"I want to say hi to someone" she said, taking his hand, and beginning to walk. Rey felt Kylo follow willingly, but as they drew closer, he lagged behind her and tried to pull his hand away.

"Rey, I don't think that's-"

"Hello, Rey, hello Ben- Kylo," Leia said as they approached. Rey froze a step before they reached the table. How does she know his name. _Wait, no, that's because he's constantly on TV defending First Order. Right…_ Rey slightly regretted her decision. _Well, there's no turning back_ , she thought. _Who is Ben?_

"Hi, Leia," Rey smiled, taking that last step forward. "Sorry for interrupting," Rey felt like an idiot, but Leia gave her a warm look.

"That's quite alright, dear. I see you're with your… boyfriend," she said and Rey nodded.

"Leia, Han, this is Kylo. Kylo, these are my bosses, Han Solo and Leia Organa." Rey turned to see Kylo's original smile gone. He looked more sullen than ever and Rey became worried. "Are you alr-"

"I don't think I need to be introduced to my own parents, Rey," Kylo snapped, his voice more harsh than normal. Rey felt his hand becoming clammy and a sheen of sweat coated his forehead. Yanking his hand from Rey's grasp, Kylo turned and stormed away.

Rey gaped at the receding figure of her boyfriend and then turned back to Leia and Han. "I don't- I'm so sorr- parents?" she said, trying comprehend what Kylo had just said.

Leia looked at Han who nodded slowly. "Rey," she took the young woman's hand. "We're his parents," she said. "I think you should go to him. We can talk later, but Ben- I mean, Kylo- we'll talk later," Leia patted Rey's arm.

Still confused, Rey nodded. She wanted an explanation, but Leia was right. Rey decided to get an explanation from her moody, hormonal boyfriend.

* * *

By the time she unlocked the door to Kylo's hotel room, Rey found that she was furious. Furious at Kylo for not telling her- furious that after their "no lies" deal, he still lied, and angry that he left her to fend for herself in front of her bosses- his parents. It also did not help that her cab got stuck in traffic while his sped off.

Slamming the door open, Rey looked around for her boyfriend but saw the living room empty. "Kylo?!" she shouted, furious. Tossing her coat onto a nearby chair, Rey stormed into their shared bedroom, her cheeks heating in rage. "You just left me behind after telling me that my bosses were your parents? I thought we were done lying to each other! You know, when you keep from telling me that- are you alright?"

Rey froze when she caught sight of Kylo curled up in bed, dressed in only a pair of boxers, and his face gray. The sheets were piled around his ankles and his dark hair was splayed over the pillow. "Kylo," Rey walked around the bed to touch his clammy forehead. "Are you alright?" Rey asked, her voice soft. Kylo's blank eyes stared at her and Rey slipped her flats off.

Unbuttoning her sheer blouse, Rey tossed it aside and pulled the straps of her bra off of her shoulders and reached behind her tank top to unhook it. Slipping the bra off, Rey unzipped her skirt and pulled it down along with her leggings.

Clad in only her underwear and a white shirt, she climbed over Kylo's body and laid down behind him, pressing her chest to his back and holding her arm around him. Rey felt Kylo's breathing soften and she nuzzled her cheek into his back.

"I threw up as soon as I got here," he murmured. "Probably bad steak. I'm fine."

"Kylo, it doesn't take a medical degree to know that you don't have food poisoning," Rey whispered. They laid together, Rey spooning her boyfriend and keeping his back warm as he calmed down, and Kylo realizing how truly amazing Rey was as a person. He wanted to remain in the position they were in, forever.

"Babe?" Rey asked. Kylo hummed in response. Rey felt the reverberations down his bony spine and she smiled softly. "I want to ask you a question and you don't have to answer it if it makes you uncomfortable, alright?"

"Hm."

"Why do your parents call you Ben?" she asked. Kylo's back stiffened and Rey ran her hand over the span of his long bicep. Tangling her legs with Kylo's, Rey pulled him closer to her and kissed his trapezius. There was nothing sexual in her actions, but everything intimate.

"I… Kylo is my middle name," he sighed. Kylo's hand moved to cross over his body and grasp the hand Rey hand on his arm. Holding her hand, he closed his eyes. "I go by my middle name and the name of the law firm I used to co-operate: Ren. Benjamin is my first name and my surname… it's Solo."

Rey took a moment to process his answer. She gave his arm a squeeze and smiled. "Thank you."

"No more lies, right?"

"So, what should I call you?" Rey murmured. She waited in silence, blinking as the soft waves of sleep beckoned for her. Resisting the urge to drift off, Rey waited for Kylo's response.

"Call me Kylo."

"Alright," Rey yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Rest up; you'll need your energy if you're going to go against me."

Kylo chuckled and shifted his head backwards, bopping Rey on the forehead and giving her a face full of hair. "And you'll need sleep if you're going to go out and uproot the oil company that rules the world."

"You sound like an evil overlord."

"I'm just tired."

"Then shut up and sleep."


	14. Bluetooth and Look, I'm on TV!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finds closure, Snoke is a stick up everyone's ass, and papers fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting often; life is giving me too many lemons and I don't have enough sugar to make lemonade, so any lemonade I sell will be 80% lemon juice with a dash of water and will cost $10 a glass.

Rey bit her bottom lip as she rested her hand on the door handle to the meeting room she would have breakfast in. The meeting room where Ackbar would explain any news and the meeting room where her boyfriend's parents were already situated.

No one else was in the meeting room and Rey knew Finn and Poe were opting to skip the meeting for morning sex.

Rey's Sunday morning began with a run at the hotel's gym and a session with its punching bag where she managed to accidentally bruise her foot. Then, she took a trip to a small bistro for broth and crackers for Kylo and stopped by a grocery store for bananas. He had accepted the food with a thankful kiss and sipped the hot soup while Rey ran around, trying to locate a clean bra (she later gave up).

After dressing and messily tying her hair back, she kissed Kylo good-bye and walked through the downpour, in heels, to the hotel next door. Living a double life was hard, demanding, and drenching.

Steeling her nerves, she opened the door and stepped in. "Good morning, L- Mrs. Organa, and Mr. Solo," Rey referred to them by their surnames and sat down a diameter away from Leia. She reached to the center of the round table and grabbed a plain bagel and a packet of strawberry cream cheese.

"Rey, you don't have to stop calling us by our first names, it's alright," Han said, breaking the silence. Rey looked up at him and bit her tongue. Both Leia and Han offered her smiles and Rey felt at ease.

"Is Kylo happy?" Leia asked. Rey wondered what she meant, but remembered that Kylo was not close to his parents. She made a note to look into that. So, Rey answered truthfully.

"He… is. He's happy." _He also threw up last night due to the stress of bumping into his parents with me._

"That's good," Leia nodded. Han smiled and walked over to pat Rey's shoulder.

"I think you're the best that's happened to him in a long time," he said and Rey blushed.

"Thank you, but I think we make it a joint effort. Kylo is a.. he's a great guy."

Rey ate her breakfast with peace in her mind and munched on her bagel. Han and Leia were proving to be better conversation partners now that both parties were at ease with each other.

* * *

" _What will Alliance do if First Order were to succeed in getting Congress' permission to log and mine for oil in Alaska?"_ the reporter asked. Alder Snoke looked at the young, Alliance sent, representative on TV and ignored her words, opting to analyze her body language and looks.

A young woman with light brown hair and sparkling eyes spoke to the reporter. She was eloquent, graceful, and seemed qualified to do her job. Snoke wondered if she was an actual player or just a pawn with someone like Han Solo or Leia Organa feeding her words through an earpiece.

"Hux, Ren, what do you think about her?" he asked his two lackeys. Hux was focused on his paperwork, but Snoke could see that Ren was sneaking glances at the TV as he worked. "I wonder what goes on in that pretty little head of hers. No doubt Organa or Solo are feeding her lines," he said. Hux nodded to him while Kylo remained impassive. "Ren, I asked you a question," Snoke said.

Kylo looked the TV and stared at Rey as she spoke to a reporter. Her hair was messy due to the little time she had that morning to prepare and she wore chapstick instead of gloss or lipstick because the D.C. air was making her lips sore. Kylo knew she had a hidden blush stain on her bra that was probably rubbing onto the inside of her clothes because he had seen her drop her makeup container.

She was beautiful and she was every inch a smart, successful woman who knew exactly what she was doing. Kylo was entranced.

"I think she's too pretty and too young to actually know what she's talking about," Kylo managed to lie through his teeth as Rey answered the reporter's questions. "That Bluetooth in her ear," _It's because she doesn't like the oils on her phone touching her face_ , "it's probably connected to someone telling her what to say."

Snoke peered at Ren and dissected his response. He searched for signs of weakness, but all in all, found none. The younger man was still his piece in this game of chess. His curiosity was sated and he returned to work.

* * *

Kylo held a file in his hand and stood tall with pride. He had just secured Alaska's vote of confidence in allowing First Order the rights to mine for oil in certain Alaskan territories. It was a win for him and a loss for Alliance.

The folder contained the Canada agreement, the same files he had shown to the senators of Oregon as well as Alaska. That had been the cherry on top of their agreement. Both border states were wary of Canada and when they found out that Canada would not retaliate against excess carbon monoxide in the atmosphere, they agreed.

He walked through the marble halls of the Senate building and nodded to passing senators, secretaries, and favor seekers. He was victorious.

A pair of sprinting footsteps sounded behind him and Kylo turned to see Finn clutching a folder and running with his phone pressed against his face. He paid the young man no mind- that is, until Finn tripped and collided into him.

They fell like the Berlin Wall and Kylo's eyes widened as his folder flew into the air, its contents spewing forward.

Finn's stack of papers left his hands as he collided with Kylo and the two watched in horror as paper scattered like snow in the air conditioned breezes.

"I'm so sorry- are you alright?" Finn asked.

"Watch where the fuck you're going!" Kylo shouted, kicking Finn away from him. Picking himself off the ground, he began collecting the pages that looked like his. It did not help that the scattered documents were all white sheets with black ink.

Finn was scrambling to retrieve his papers, crumpling a few on the way. He was minutes away from going back home and this is what happened.

Snatching his stack, Finn quickly apologized to Kylo before darting off once more.

Kylo grabbed his papers off the ground before ramming them into his folder. "Son of a bitch," he growled, not caring how many documents he crumpled. He was Kylo _fucking_ Ren and being a successful lawyer meant that no one would have the pleasure of seeing him grovelling.

He stood, brushed a hand over his suit, and marched out of the building, and into the pouring rain. Pushing the messily arranged file into his jacket, Kylo hailed a cab back to his hotel. He would get his revenge. Nothing could save Finn from his rage.


	15. For Better Or For Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night.

The rich aroma of rosemary and tomatoes filled the cozy apartment. The dining room table was equipped with two place settings and a delicious looking lasagna. Candles bathed the scene in a warm glow and the couple linked hands. They sat in the warm house and gazed into each other's eyes. Jazz played from the surround sound system, adding its seductive allure.

"You know, I think we could make things work. It'll be hard, but I think it'd work. It'll be alright," Poe said to his boyfriend. Finn nodded, his eyes almost making hearts as he gazed at Poe.

"Fuck!" came a shout from Rey's room. The two looked up from each other to see Rey opening her door and tossing the cat out. She looked from Finn to Poe and quickly shut her door, remembering the 'No interrupting dates unless you're dying' rule Finn had instilled.

Finn returned his attention to Poe and laughed. "You'll be in Florida and I'll be here, keeping Rey company. Unless Rey plans on moving in with Kylo, I don't see why I can't move in here when you leave," he said. Poe nodded.

It had begun while they were watching Leia speak before the Senate on C-SPAN. Rey had been dozing off and Poe had wondered how Finn would react to his readiness to leave Jakku. He did not want to leave Finn, but Finn was the one that had told him not to hold back and follow his dreams. Poe wanted to race, and with Finn's blessing, he had decided to venture forward with his new career. And as Leia was met with a standing ovation from the liberal side of the Senate, Poe and Finn agreed that Poe would leave to fulfill his dream while Finn stayed to continue working at Alliance.

"I'll fly back whenever I can," Poe said as Finn began clearing their dishes. "And maybe you and Rey can come by. I'll buy tickets to Disney World for everyone and we'll have a blast."

Finn chuckled from the kitchen, saying, "Don't get too ahead of yourself. You haven't even moved out, yet."

Poe grinned at his boyfriend and stood, blowing the candles out and picking up forks and knives. He walked over to Rey's door and knocked. "Rey, we're done. You can give me your dishes," he said.

The door opened and Rey stepped out, her plate and fork in her hand. "So, what's this I hear about Disney World?" she asked, her face elated. She wore a bathrobe over her pajamas and was rolling a lint brush over herself, collecting stray cat fur. Poe had almost forgotten about the thin walls their apartment had.

"Rey, I swear you and Poe get way too ahead of yourselves," Finn called out as he ran the sink. "Does the dishwasher work or did our dear, sweet Poe break that too?" he asked.

"It worked the last time I used it," Rey called out.

Poe stood back and looked at BB-8 as it trailed Rey into the kitchen. He would miss his two best friends once he left. He had hoped Rey would accept the offer of an internship from a small tech company in Daytona Beach, but she had stayed behind after Leia offered her a higher salary and full time job at Alliance. She and Finn would both stay and work for Leia while Poe would leave and support Alliance in the best way he could, by placing their symbol on the front hood of his car.

Finn stayed the night at Rey and Poe's place. Wearing one of Poe's t-shirts, he laid in bed as Poe brushed his teeth. He flipped through the book he had finished in DC and grinned when Poe slid under the covers. Finn pulled Poe close to him and pressed his forehead against Poe's. "I think date night was a success," Finn said and Poe nodded.

"It feels good to just stay in sometimes."

"Have you ever thought about getting married?" Finn asked. Poe's eyes opened and he smirked at Finn.

"This is new," he commented. "Are you proposing to me?" Poe immediately scanned his peripheral for a ring box, but Finn laughed, shaking his head against his pillow.

"No, not yet, but I wanted to know how you felt. We're still seniors, but we won't be in a few months and you're leaving soon. I feel like you're the one for me," Finn explained. Poe's spirits soared and he immediately kissed Finn.

"Well, I think you're the one for me as well. We'll think something out before I go," he said.

"That sounds alright," Finn yawned and shifted his arm so that Poe could use it as a pillow. "G'night, love," he murmured. Poe nestled his head against Finn's broad chest and nodded.

"Night."

"Night, lovebirds!" Rey called through the thin walls. She had heard everything from the living room and was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm Maid of Honor, right?" she asked. Finn and Poe both blushed but laughed at the same time.

"Of course! Goodnight!" Finn called back.

"Night, weirdo!" Poe chuckled.

* * *

Rey laid in bed and stared at the bright screen of her phone, reading the syllabus to see what was left of her class. She gnawed at her bottom lip and yawned.

The phone began buzzing and Rey smiled when she saw Kylo's name and picture appear. It was a candid shot she had managed to snag while he was yawning and Rey immediately pressed the "Answer Call" button.

"Hello," she murmured.

"Hi there," Kylo's deep voice responded. "Were you sleeping?"

"I was reading my syllabus," she said, shifting to her side. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing, really. Just pulling a late night and doing paperwork. I wanted to talk to you," he said and Rey chuckled softly.

"What kind of paperwork? It must be extremely boring if you have to resort to calling me," she joked, messing with a stray thread on the oversized shirt she had taken from Kylo's bag in D.C.

"Oh, yeah, you're just a little less boring than me taking someone to court," he said. Rey raised an eyebrow, pulling her covers over her shoulders.

"Court, huh? Did they spit in your coffee or trip you on your way to work?"

"Something like that. So, you got home safe? Nothing bad?" he asked.

"Yeah. BB-8 -Poe's cat- got sick on the ride home, so I had to clean cat puke off of my upholstery, but otherwise I got home fine. What about you? Jetting back soon?"

"Yeah, but I might go back a bit early to re-steal the sweatshirt you took from my bag," Kylo said, his voice filled with mirth. Rey's eyes widened and she looked down at the gray sweatshirt that nearly covered her knees.

"Are you going to sue me too?" she asked, breathing in the smell of Kylo's cologne from his shirt.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll come home to see you in my shirt with nothing underneath," he said and Rey stifled a laugh.

"If it means me getting to keep your clothes, then absolutely. This thing is huge and super comfortable."

"Hey, I have to go- Hux and Phasma want to play a drinking game."

"What game?" Rey asked, her interest piqued.

"We play old speeches and interviews given by Mr. Snoke and take a shot every time he mentions something about First Order putting gas in cars or electricity in homes. Two shots for if he asks either Hux or me something." Rey stifled her laughter.

"Good luck staying sober. I'm going to sleep now."

"Night, Rey. I'll see you on Thursday," Kylo said.

"I'll see you on Thursday as well," Rey smiled. "Good night."


	16. You Just Got Served

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every couple has to fight in order to be normal. This one just so happens to have suing and rain involved.

Rey laid on the black sofa with her head in Kylo's lap, staring at the rain that trickled down the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. Her laptop was open on her lap, but the screen was dark, and Kylo typed away on the computer perched on his thigh. "So, will you be representing yourself in court or will Lee be representing you?" she asked. Kylo quirked an eyebrow at the use of Hux's first name before shrugging.

"I plan on representing myself with Hux acting as my witness and stand-in," he said. Kylo wondered what the extent of their 'no lies' agreement entailed. Could he get away with not telling her that he was taking Faulkner 'Finn' Newell to court?

Kylo looked down at Rey whose eyes were occupied on the rain falling against the glass windows. Gray clouds and lightning shook outside while inside, two mugs sat at their feet, steaming. The red mug held black coffee while the blue one held warm milk.

Leaning down, Kylo pressed his lips against Rey's, kissing her absentmindedly. She responded wholeheartedly, reaching a hand out to tangle in his hair. Her soft lips gave way to his tongue and Kylo listened to thunder crashing as he kissed his girlfriend. _Girlfriend_. Sometimes Kylo could not believe that Rey was actually his girlfriend.

Because his house was closer to her part time job, Rey usually came by for dinner and stayed the night. Her toothbrush sat in a cup beside his and she usually left a few sets of clothes in his closet. Little by little, Rey left an imprint in his heart and in his home, little mementos left behind and little things that made Kylo smile when she wasn't around.

He was torn on whether or not he should tell Rey that he was going to sue Finn. Of course, Finn deserved it; he was a traitor the First Order and Kylo was sure Finn had stolen a few of his documents when they collided into each other at Washington D.C.

"Rey," Kylo pulled away from her and kissed her forehead. "I have… I need to tell you something. No lies, right?" The way she abruptly sat up made Kylo flinch.

Rey turned to face him and crossed her legs. "What is it?" she asked.

Kylo shut his laptop and set it aside. "I'm suing Finn Newell for theft," he stated, wondering if he was being a bit obtuse. The statement hung between them in an awkward silence.

Rey blinked. She blinked again. Her mouth opened and closed before she spoke.

"I must be hearing things. Either that or you know another Finn Newell that you are suing," she finally said. Kylo took a deep breath before shaking his head.

"I have evidence that he stole documents from First Order," he explained. Rey rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Finn would never steal anything!" she exclaimed. "I know him and-"

"Rey, listen-"

"I know he wouldn't ever do anything to hurt anyone- no matter how much he despises your company," she continued. Kylo bit his lip and sighed.

"Babe, the evidence is there. I'm suing Finn," he said. Rey bit her tongue as she stared at him. His unruly hair and dead-set eyes.

"I think," she paused, choosing the right words, "I'm going to go home and tell my best friend that my boyfriend is suing him," she said, sliding off of the sofa. Kylo watched as Rey went into his bedroom.

"Rey, it's raining outside. Just stay the night and go on your path for vengeance tomorrow," Kylo called out. The door was slammed open and Rey stormed out with her Taekwondo bag under one arm and a pair of running shoes in her hand. "Rey, it's not a big-"

"Not a big-" Rey turned and glared at Kylo. "What the fuck is 'not a big deal' about you, a lawyer with strong credentials, suing a college kid that didn't do anything wrong?"

"If he wins the case, I'll back off," Kylo protested, holding his hands up. "Rey, just stay; it's raining."

Rey gave Kylo a hard look before shoving her shoes into her bag and snatching her car keys off of the countertop. "I'll call you when I've calmed down," she snapped before slinging her jacket on and pulling the hood over her hair.

Kylo stood and jogged over to where Rey was, reaching forward and grabbing her arm. He pinched the loose material of her jacket, holding her back by the sleeve. "Come on, Rey, it's not that big of a deal," he shouted. Rey's eyes closed momentarily before she turned to face Kylo.

"Kylo, you know that Finn is the same age as me, right?" she asked. Kylo frowned but nodded. "And you know that I'm a senior in college, right?" Rey raised an eyebrow as he nodded once more.

"Yes…" Kylo grimaced as he tried to find a tactical way to evade her questions. His skills as a lawyer were finely tuned and ready against any opponent but in the face of his angry girlfriend, he was at a loss for words.

"You may know this because you graduated from Harvard, but college kids- no matter what university we go to- usually have _outstanding_ amounts of debt. I have debt and so does Finn. I strongly suggest you withdraw this case because Finn's already broke; he doesn't need you demanding money from him and he didn't do anything wrong," she growled. Kylo looked down at his girlfriend and pressed his lips together. Shaking his head, he persisted.

"I'm still going through with-"

Rey wriggled from his grip and opened the front door, stepping out into the hallway. The door slammed shut and Kylo swore. He turned towards the flexible, metal can that held his umbrellas and picked it up and chucked it at the nearest wall. It bounced off the wood without even leaving a mark and Kylo snatched an umbrella off of the ground, jerking his front door open and running out, barefoot. The people in the hallway stared at him as he sprinted towards the elevator and tapped his foot as the numbers over the up and down buttons moved sluggishly, cursing under his breath.

He opened the umbrella when he reached the first floor of the building and sprinted past neighbors, through the rain; straight towards where Rey was running towards her car, her hood covering her head from the pouring rain. "Rey! Come on, babe!" Kylo sprinted out towards her and shielded his girlfriend from the rain.

Rey paused when she felt the rain cease against her shoulders and she sighed. "Have you decided to apologize and rescind your file against my best friend?" she hissed, staring up at the older man. Kylo's hard stare met hers and Rey shook her head, "I can't believe-"

"I can't believe you're being such a pain about this! If he wins the case then I won't do anything!" he shouted at her.

"And if he loses? Are you going to take whatever money he has left? Are you going to send him to jail? I don't think you're the type to settle and I know you aren't going to play fair!" she jabbed a finger into his chest and Kylo scoffed.

"You're accusing me of- Rey, what the fuck?!" They were making a spectacle of themselves and a small crowd had amassed at the edge of the building and Kylo's neighbors watched as their extremely tall, basketball-shorts clad neighbor argued in the pouring rain with his extremely short girlfriend.

"Maybe it's time we had a break!" Kylo shouted off the top of his head. "We've been dating for a few months, but I think you're… I think you're overbearing and annoying!" he snapped, regretting his words immediately. Rey's expression turned livid and she seemed to grow taller with anger.

" _Annoying_? You weren't saying that when I was fucking you last night! Maybe it is time we took a break!" Rey's voice cracked and Kylo nodded slowly.

"Right… Yeah, I think we should-" he stopped. "Fuck! Rey, come on, I don't-"

"No-no! I wouldn't want to _overbear_ my _annoying_ self in your presence," her tone was patronizing and Rey bit her bottom lip. She looked down, breaking their incessant eye contact. "I'm going home," she sighed before stepping out from the protection of the umbrella.

Kylo watched as Rey ran to her car and unlocked it, tossing her bag in. His bare feet were freezing from the cold, but he remained in his spot as she started her car. "Rey, come on! Rey!"

The white Jeep pulled away from the parking lot and Kylo pulled at his hair. "Fuck!" Shouting, he chucked his umbrella and did not even bat an eye when the howling wind carried it away.


	17. Love Is an Open Door... And Free Showers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn tries to talk sense into Rey.  
> Hux doesn't like people.

The letter arrived three days later, but by then, Finn was prepared to receive it.

The letter itself was not daunting or too promiscuous. A white envelope, George Washington stamp, and the handwriting of an angry three-year-old. Finn opened it, read its contents, and then passed it on to Mr. Calrission- his lawyer. As of that day, Finn was being sued by a Mr. Kylo Ren, senior lawyer and analyst for First Order Incorporate.

When he had approached Leia with his problem, Finn wondered if she would take his side or her son's. Finn was still skeptical of what Rey had told him, but it surprised him when Leia listened to his terms and immediately offered Alliance's legal services. Lando knocked on his front door a day later.

"So he's really going through with this?" Finn asked Rey. He sat beside her on the sofa and they each held a breakfast sandwich from McDonald's along with a mug of their preferred drink. "Suing me for something I didn't do? Is it because I used to work there?" he asked.

"I don't know…" Rey sighed as she took a bite of her sandwich. "I haven't called him since I left," she muttered.

"You should go back to him," Finn commented and Rey's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"I said, you should go back to him," he repeated. "Rey, I'm innocent and I know that, so all I have to do is prove it. It's of that big of a deal. There's security footage that we can access and Lando is scouring my computer for anything weird. So… you were reckless and I think you should go back to him; he makes you happy."

Rey stared at her friend in silence. She barely noticed Poe sitting down beside Finn. "He's right, you know. You haven't been this crazy about someone since… since I have no idea," Poe looked at Rey before taking a bite of Finn's sandwich.

"I'm staying with Finn," Rey shook her head, "Kylo and I are taking a break, so I won't be seeing him for a while. We're-" she stopped short as her phone began to ring.

Finn smirked when he saw Kylo's name appear on Rey's screen. Picking the silver phone up, he answered the call and held it out towards Rey.

Glaring at her friend, she satched the phone from his hand and pressed the glass to her face. "What?" she snapped.

"You should come back," Kylo immediately replied. Rey raised her eyebrows.

"And why is that? It's only been a few days and-"

"I rescinded the order," he said. "I'm not suing Finn, so please come back. I know you have the keys to my house on your keychain, so just… Come back?"

Rey looked at Finn and Poe who both nodded earnestly.

* * *

"So you broke up?" Hux asked, an eyebrow raised. He looked at his friend with a frown as Ren stepped out of his kitchen. Their workplace emo was currently dressed in a sport brand sweatshirt and cargo shorts.

"What did you break when she left?" Phasma asked. Kylo leered at his friends before setting glasses of water before them. The tray clacked against the table and the glasses rattled, almost tipping onto the mountains of paperwork Ren's printer was spitting out.

"I don't know if we broke up, and I threw an umbrella. That's it," he snapped, falling onto the sofa. Hux took a sip from his water as Kylo pulled the hood of his shirt over his eyes. "Ughh…" he groaned.

"Are you wearing a sweatshirt?" Hux asked. "I haven't seen you wear a sweatshirt since grad school," he said. Kylo looked down at his clothing before shrugging.

"It's comfortable and-"

"And your girlfriend seems to have been a good influence on you," Phasma interjected. "You've loosened up and you're less of a whiny brat at work," she said, taking a sip of water. "It's quite nice not having to worry about if my crystal swans are going to be broken a second time."

Hux reached for his water glass and crossed his legs as he leaned back against his recliner. Kylo's house was larger than his and Phasma's. Kylo lived the furthest away from First Order headquarters, and Phasma and Hux were the closest.

"So, why has the case against your girlfriend's friend been moved to Hux and a First Order file?" Phasma asked. She raised an eyebrow at Kylo and Hux who both gaped at her.

"How do you know that?" Hux asked, shaking his head. "That happened today and it's not even supposed to be public informations. Snoke himself moved the case to me because he thought Ren was too emotional to take the case," Kylo nodded as Hux spoke and Phasma shrugged.

"You forget, dear friends, that I am the one that controls the interns and _they_ know everything- maybe even more than Snoke."

"I am going to strangle Rockwell," Kylo growled. "He was the one that told you, didn't he? That conniving little-"

"Please, you know this was a gift sent from God," Phasma rolled her eyes. "Now you can tell your girlfriend you're not suing her best friend… your best friend is suing her best friend."

Hux snorted at Phasma's snark and reached over to organize the stacks of untouched paperwork that was beginning to pile up. His hands worked deftly, organizing by date. "I get a twenty dollar raise per hour that I work on this case, so I'm happier than Ren," he said and Kylo snorted. Phasma took a sip from her glass and chuckled, shaking her head.

"You need a girl," she said, "Living alone with your cat… how do you get by, Lee?"

"Let's see, I hate human contact, loud noises, the idea of dating or even sharing a bed with anyone, and I think everyone aside from a select few are quite annoying. Millicent is quiet, does not nag me about work, and is also a great heater for my lap. And you wonder how I get by?" His rhetorical question was answered by a snort from Kylo and a roll of Phasma's eyes.

There was a sound at the door and the three turned their heads as the lock turned. Hux snuck a glance at Kylo who seemed intrigued, but not worried that someone was entering his home.

Three pairs of eyes widened when the front door opened and Kylo's girlfriend walked in, a white Taekwondo uniform on, a blue gym bag slung over one shoulder, and a black belt strapped around her waist. "Hi, I'm here. I'm sorry for running out, and I really need to take a shower," her British accent made Phasma smirk immediately. She tossed her keys into Ren's key bowl and froze when she looked up and saw two unexpected people in the house. "Is this a bad time?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Phasma and Hux both choked on their laughter when Kylo stood and bolted towards Rey, pulling her into his arms as soon as he reached her. "Rey!" he exclaimed, beaming. Hux looked at Phasma who was biting the lipstick off of her bottom lip to keep from laughing at their friend.

When Kylo set Rey down, he led her over to where Hux and Phasma were sitting. "Rey, these are my colleagues, college buddies, and friends," he introduced them. "Lee Hux is the snooty redhead," Hux glared at his friend, but shook Rey's hand. "And Pauline is-"

"Happy to meet another Brit in this godforsaken city," Phasma shook Rey's hand and Rey smiled.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you!" she said. Kylo sat down on the sofa as Rey bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. "Well, I'm going to go…shower," she pointed in the direction of Ren's room before walking off.

Hux wondered if she knew the guest bathroom was fully stocked.


	18. Dominance and Book Analogies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey meets the venerable P. Hasma and the suave Lee Hux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lack of updates... I've been so caught up in k-dramas these days. I don't even like k-dramas, but one has managed to ensnare me and refuses to let go.

Rey sat in between Lee Hux and her boyfriend, contemplating how Lee's hair was so perfectly in place. The man was filing papers and flicking his fingers through sheets and documents so quickly they became a fan.

With shoddily dried hair draped over one shoulder and wearing a gray t-shirt with leggings, Rey felt out of place among the older, better dressed friends of her boyfriend.

Kylo himself was wearing a sweatshirt, so Rey had no trouble sticking to him. She just wondered how her disheveled, moody boyfriend was friends with two of the most perfect beings she had ever met.

It was astonishing how flawless Phasma's makeup was. Her eyeliner was symmetrical, her cherry lipstick was blotch free and shining, and Rey had never seen foundation smoother. Her short hair was styled and sprayed into an intentional mess of a coif. Her white suit was pressed and form fitting. The gold necklaces that fell from her long throat provided color and did not clash in the slightest with her platinum colored shoes. When she drank from a glass, she left no lipstick print, and Rey knew that Phasma was dominant in all aspects of her life.

Lee was proper. He sat as if there was a pole against his back and his hands never meandered; they were always either working or crossed, his fingers interlocked. His suit was black and his shirt was as well. There were no wrinkles to be seen on his clothing and each pant leg was pressed with straight creases. Rey didn't know anyone that could make pinstripes work, but apparently Lee was one of them.

It was a bit awkward sitting in the same living room as the man that had walked in on her having sex with Kylo, but Lee seemed impassive towards her. Rey remembered how he had just turned his back to them and begun speaking to Kylo as if she was not even there. Lee did not even spare her an awkward glance as he flipping through papers, tossing them into separate files.

Rey wondered if it would be considered betrayal if someone found out that she was sitting in the living room of her boyfriend; conversing with the high officers of First Order Incorporate. Hux and Phasma and Ren, the Three Musketeers of Doom and Deforestation. Then, there was Rey, the random Alliance worker that happened to be dating Ren. It was as if D'Artagnan was screwing Aramis beneath his officers' noses.

"Rey, what part of Great Britain are you from?" Phasma asked. Rey opened her mouth, but fell short of an answer.

"Well, I was born in London, but my parents died when I was seven and I was adopted by distant family members, so I moved here," she said. Phasma nodded, giving her a warm smile.

"Hux, how's the filing coming along?" Kylo asked, looking at the redhead.

"Never ask me that question; I am a perfectionist. It'll always be coming along well," Hux muttered beneath his breath. "Rey, you're an engineering major, right?" Hux kept his eyes on his work, but Rey sensed he was the type to be omnipresent; keeping up with multiple things at once.

"Yeah, I'm majoring in mechanical engineering and computer controls… So I can fix your car while hacking into your e-mail," she joked. Phasma nodded with pursed lips.

"You know, you could be a good candidate for inter-"

"Phasma, you're not recruiting my girlfriend to be an intern at First Order," Kylo stated, "We can't keep this whole Romeo and Juliet thing going on if Juliet becomes a Montague." Rey shook her head while Phasma rolled her eyes.

"Huh," Hux snorted, "that was good." He looked up from his work to give Kylo an approving nod.

Rey watched Kylo interact with his co-workers with mild interest, seeing their relationship as not unlike hers with Finn and Poe. He seemed happy with them and Rey smiled through her self consciousness.

When Phasma and Hux stood to leave, Kylo invited them to stay for dinner. Phasma smiled softly and shook her head. "The girlfriend will be expecting me," she said, collecting the stapled papers that Hux handed to her.

"What about you, Hux? Does a single person have an excuse to not stay for dinner?" Kylo asked, looking his friend in the eye. Hux quirked an eyebrow.

"As much as I enjoy spending time with you, I have fulfilled my constraints for human contact for the day. I think I'll reheat a lasagna with my cat. Thank you, though, Ren- Rey." He gave a curt nod to each of them.

Rey helped Hux, Phasma, and Kylo carry stacks upon stacks of paperwork and folders towards two cars.

Phasma drove a silver Porsche 911 Turbo. Her trunk was packed with a small filing system, two crumpled garment bags, a pair of muddy running shoes, and an unopened package of fountain pens.

"How the fuck are we supposed to fit a stack of files into this mess?" Hux snapped.

"Shut up," Phasma retorted. "We can't all have obsessively coordinated trunks."

Hux's car was a red Jaguar with an immaculate trunk. Rey raised her eyebrows at the row of filing cabinets and the drawer where an overcoat and umbrella were tucked away. There was a first aid kit the size of a computer and a box of canned Alaskan salmon. "What on Earth do you need thirty bloody cans of salmon for?" Phasma asked as she set a stack of papers inside a cabinet.

"It's for my cat," Hux sighed. Kylo snorted and put an arm around Rey.

"You feed your cat 100% organic, wild Alaskan salmon?" He asked, picking a can up. "What happened to feeding pets normal stuff?"

Snatching the can from Kyo's hand, Hux set it back into the box. "Millicent is more than _just_ a cat," he snapped, slamming the trunk shut. Turning towards the three behind him, Hux crossed his arms. "Well, today was… productive. Rey, it was very nice meeting you. See you on Monday, Ren."

Rey and Kylo watched as Lee was the first to leave. It was Phasma next. She patted Kylo's arm and hugged Rey before sliding into her sport car and jetting off.

They walked back to Kylo's apartment, each with an arm wrapped around the other. "So are you here for good?" Kylo asked, unlocking his front door. Rey shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Hey, I'm not suing Finn anymore," Kylo murmured and Rey chuckled.

"I know. Lee is but, Kylo, I- I really want to make this work," she explained, moving to look into the fridge. Kylo stood behind her, hugging her from the back as she dug through the fridge.

"I do too."

"What should we do for dinner? Poe and Finn aren't expecting me, so I'm staying here tonight," she said. "Is… would that be alright?"

Kylo smirked as Rey rummaged past a row of Red Bull. "You don't ever have to ask if you can stay. As for dinner, I know you're a master baker, but how good is your cooking? I can't cook," he said. Rey scoffed as she continued digging through the fridge.

"I can cook, but even Gordon Ramsay couldn't make anything out of energy drinks, celery, and lunch meat. Where is all of your food?"

She shut the fridge door as Kylo shrugged. "I usually order in or eat out. We'll order a pizza, then."

"That sounds about right." Kylo kissed Rey's temple and touched the strands of still damp hair that clung to her neck. "Am I… forgiven?" He asked.

Rey bit the bottom of her lip as Kylo reached an arm around around her front, his fingers rubbing into her side. Touching the sweatshirt, he lifted it to place his hand on her bare skin and Rey placed her hand above his. "No," she replied, "you're not…" Kylo's hand dipped into the elastic of her pants, toying with the hem of her underwear. "I've never had kitchen sex before," Rey breathed as his hand went lower.

"Want to try?"

"Fuck yes."


	19. Threats are Unethical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chinese food and office pouting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to grit my teeth and plow through schoolwork, fandom stuff, and Christmas all in one month. Let's do this.

Poe closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He wanted to murder Lee Hux. The gel covered bastard was suing his boyfriend in place of Kylo Ren due to "conflict of interest." Poe wanted to kill Lee Hux with an ax and a laser. He wanted to decapitate his stupid, smirking head and throw it to BB-8 to eat.

"Poe, fuming isn't going to change the fact that I have to appear in court on Wednesday," Finn called from his office. Poe looked up from his perched position between the dividers of two cubicles and leaped down. The people working within the cubicles grumbled, but Poe landed on his feet and he walked into the office and sighed, leaning against the door.

Finn's office was the size of six cubicles stuck together and decorated with a small plant, a ten gallon fish tank, and two chairs and a sofa. Poe assumed it was because he was the only one that was a full time employee for Alliance. Finn had a full sized office with two large windows on both sides, and a door. Rey and Poe each had a cubicle and they shared a conference room that also doubled as Leia's office.

"Lee Hux is the bane of my existence and I will not stop fuming until you walk free and I sue Hux for slander and libel," Poe snapped, glaring at the picture of Rey, Finn, and Poe on Finn's desk. "I'm going to hire-"

"Babe, you've already paid two lawyers to help me and Leia has a team from Alliance working for me as well. It's going to be fine."

"Well, if there's anything that'll get this case off of us, it's getting rid of the witnesses," Poe said. Finn frowned, shaking his head. Poe thought Finn looked especially cute when he was berating him for something stupid.

"Why on _Earth_ would we do that? The only witnesses are nine United States senators, three interns, me, and Kylo- _NO_ ," Finn shook his head, pointing a finger at Poe. "We are _not_ getting rid of Rey's boyfriend."

"Come on, Finn!" Poe exclaimed, his tone growing shrill. "No other witnesses are available and he and Rey are on rocky turf! You could get off scot free!"

Shaking his head, Finn returned his gaze to the computer on his desk. Tapping on a few keys, he moved his mouse around and looked at bookings for venues where there would be conventions hosted by Alliance. "So, are you ready for graduation? It's only a few weeks away." Poe's bottom lip jutted out at Finn's change of topic.

"College debt is only a few weeks away. Babe, are you sure you don't want me to call my dad? I can get him to threaten First Or-"

Finn broke into Poe's tirade with a scoff. "Poe, we've had this discussion. I'm not taking your money, and I don't believe it's ethical to have your father- whose occupation is still of dubious intent- threaten a businessman for the sake of your boyfriend." Finn smiled and Poe stepped forward, pulling one of the chairs in front of his desk out. Plopping down onto the red leather, Poe sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"It's completely ethical to do anything for the person you love, but completely unethical to do one of the easiest things? Do you know how much my father spoiled me as a kid? Asking him to threaten Alder Snoke is like asking for a puppy on Christmas," he groaned. Finn smirked at his screen. Poe leaned his head down onto the desk and groaned.

Chuckling, Finn returned his eyes to the computer and away from his moping boyfriend. "Where's Rey? I thought we were getting lunch."

Poe snorted, fiddling with the pens in Finn's cup. "I haven't seen Rey since she left for work and texted me saying she was staying at Kylo's place. I wouldn't be surprised if she stayed there for a while longer."

They sat in silence- Finn working, and Poe staring out the tinted window at the people working and bustling around the building. At one point, Lando Calrission passed by, a thick file under his arm, and a mug of coffee in his hand.

Turning at the sound of the door, Poe grinned when Rey stepped into the office, a bag of Chinese takeout in one hand and a six-pack of sodas in the other. "Hey, guys," she smiled. "Wonton soup and sweet and sour chicken?" Poe looked up and down Rey's button up and slacks to find signs of sex or kinky business, but there were none. _Damn, she's good,_ he thought with pride. His best friend was a badass.

"Yes, please!" Finn called out.

The packages were opened, food divided among plates, and Rey took the seat beside Poe, using chopsticks to nab the floating slivers of egg within her soup and pop them into her mouth. "Sorry I was late, I had to get the airbags on my car checked. I have news," she said, nabbing a piece of chicken from their shared plate. "Kylo isn't the one suing you anymore- it's Lee Hux. Snoke had him replace Kylo due to 'conflict of interest.'" She made air quotations with her fingers and Poe bit down on his chopsticks.

"I swear," he growled. "Lee Hux finds any and every way to make my life miserable."

"Poe, it's alright. We're going to win this no matter who is prosecuting me," Finn shrugged and Poe nodded, tipping his chair backwards on two legs. He nabbed an eggroll and crunched into it, chewing slowly.

Finn looked at his friends and grinned. He was glad they could spend time together before Poe moved to Florida. It would be a while before the three of them could spend time like this again. His fingers fiddled with the frayed edge of his leather jacket, feeling the place where he had accidentally burned the material. The tan leather was actually Poe's jacket, but he had given it to Finn on a windy day.

"So did I miss anything while I was at Kylo's house?" Rey asked, switching her chopsticks for a spoon. Finn nodded and swallowed, pointing to Poe.

"He offered to mysteriously get rid of Kylo and Hux- said it was like asking for a puppy from his dad." Rey scoffed before laughing and shaking her head at Poe.

"Poe Dameron, you of all people should know that threats are unethical and asking your mysteriously rich father for a hitman is even more unethical."

"Come on. Do you know how much gratification I'd get from scarring Lee Hux? Imagine!" Poe protested. Finn rolled his eyes and Rey snickered before returning to her soup.


	20. Court Crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one is happy and everything goes to shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said I'd try to avoid angst? Haha, I lied.

The day of the hearing arrived and Poe sat in court, staring at Lee Hux's shit eating grin. The redheaded man wore a black suit that matched Poe's and his bright hair was styled with enough product to keep his hair from flying away should a hurricane decide to strike. Poe wondered if he could evade incarceration via his father's connections if he punched Hux in his stupid, smirking face. They were only a few meters away from each other and Hux was busy smirking at a folder, his fingers drumming against the table before him as he read.

Finn had seemed well at ease that morning. They had woken up to flurries of February snow and a cloudy sky. Poe thought it was ominous, but Finn thought it was just the weather. Not only was the weather a surprise, but both Finn and Poe were shocked to see Rey stepping out of her bedroom in a pencil skirt and blouse, adjusting the pins in her hair.

They had breakfast together, and Rey had driven off without a word, kissing Finn's cheek and wishing him good luck.

Now, Poe sat, staring at the back of Finn's head and glaring at Hux. Lee Hux, the bane of his existence, was busy reading over a clipboard that had been passed to him. He signed the papers on the board with a gold plated fountain pen that shone in the flourescent lights of the courtroom. Poe was eighty percent sure that Hux had been named after the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee.

They had been sitting in a crowded courtroom, waiting for an hour. The judge was shooting glares at both sides of the argument, the people called in for jury duty were texting or chatting amongst each other, and lawyers added to the clamor, their lowered voices merging into one drone. Two witnesses and testimonials had yet to arrive. Rey and Kylo Ren were nowhere to be found and Chu Bacca was also absent from the court session. Poe looked at a worried Leia who was whispering to Lando and Han.

He tapped his foot, the tan colored, Prada Oxford clicking against the polished linoleum and blowing a Tootsie Roll wrapper away. Poe looked at his watch before reaching over and nudging Finn on the shoulder, "Hey, I'm going to make a phone call. I'll be back in a bit," he said. Finn nodded his head and adjusted the collar of his shirt.

Stepping out of the courtroom and into a bustling hallway, Poe walked past lawyers and attorneys running around, hoping to glimpse Rey or Ren. He slipped a hand into his pocket and withdrew his phone, pressing the center button and speaking, "Call Rey."

 _Calling Rey Kryze_ , the phone responded.

He listened to dial tone after dial tone, shaking his leg and looking around in search of his friend. His tie was constricting and Poe blamed the stylist his father sent to measure him for clothing for choosing the blue strip of silk that was currently making him sweat more than he had to. Rey hated late people. She was never late unless someone had died or a medical emergency had come up. Poe knew there had to be a good reason as to why Rey was late. Kylo, he didn't care as much, but Poe had a strange feeling that the two were late because they were doing something together.

The call went to voicemail, so Poe ended the call and tried again. Most of the people milling around the marble atrium of the courthouse were those from sessions in recess. Others were lawyers discussing notes and cases over cups of coffee, and a select few were distraught families looking for justice. Poe wondered if justice would be fair for Finn.

His second call went to voicemail and Poe swore, eliciting offended glances from two men that passed by. Poe merely waited for Rey's voicemail message to end so he could leave a message.

 _-Hi, it's Rey. Sorry I'm not at my phone right now, but if you leave a message, I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can!-_ Her cool, British accent did little to make Poe calm down, but he forced himself to remain level-headed. There was a good reason Rey was late- he was sure of it, so he decided to leave her a message.

"Rey, where are you?" Poe demanded. He attracted frowns from people passing by and Poe looked away, lowering his voice. "Court hasn't begun because you and Kylo aren't here yet and First Order refuses to begin without him. The judge is angry and it's been an hour- hurry the fuck up or we're going to have to reschedule and replan! Call me!"

Angrily stabbing his thumb onto the red button that would end the connection, Poe stowed his phone into the front pocket of his blazer and adjusted his tie before it strangled him to death. He looked out of the large glass panes that displayed a soft trail and water fountain that burbled in the cloudy light of the sun. A woman in a gray suit and blood red shirt sat on one of the benches that overlooked the fountain, her long legs crossed and her cropped, blonde hair fluttering in the breeze. Pauline Hasma seemed less interested in the hour long recess that was caused by the absence of her colleague and more interested in flipping coins into the fountain.

Her aim was perfect and soon, a small stack of coins grew on the top tier of the fountain, disturbing the flow, and creating a rift in the otherwise smooth direction of the water.

Someone walked past him, bumping his shoulder. The force of the blow was not hard enough to send him down, but not soft enough to seem like an accidental brush. Poe turned, but there was no apology- only red hair and a black suit walking by. Hux.

Dumbfounded by the man's audacity, Poe found himself immobilized. He watched as Hux walked away, offering no condolences or even telling Poe to get out of the way. The older man merely reached into his pocket and withdrew a box of cigarettes before walking out of the courthouse and onto the outside trail.

* * *

Lee sat down beside Phasma and withdrew a cigarette from the full carton before stowing the box back into his pocket. Holding the white stick between his lips, he accepted the lighter Phasma had brought from her car and flicked the ring that would ignite the release of fuel.

The little flame was enough to light up and Lee inhaled a draft of nicotine laced carbon monoxide, feeling his hatred for Poe Dameron, his annoyance toward Kylo Ren, and his ever growing weariness of Rey Kryze fade into the billow of white smoke he exhaled into the atmosphere. Let him pollute it just a little more.

"Where is the emo bastard?" he asked Phasma. She had walked out of the courtroom as soon as the recess had been called. Hux thought she would be working from her car and making phone calls, but he did not expect her to be tossing coins into a fountain and uncirculating currency.

"I've called the office and the interns say he's not there," she sighed, tossing another coin onto the stack. It landed with a satisfying plop onto the second tier of the fountain where a new stack was beginning to rise from the water. "He's not responding to his house phone," plop, "and his cell phone is going to voicemail." Phasma looked into her Chanel wallet and sighed before looking at Hux. "Do you have change? I have nothing better to do than toss coins into a fountain."

Hux blew smoke out before scoffing. "I haven't touched physical currency in seven years," he deadpanned. Reaching for his wallet, Lee opened it to reveal two slides of plastic cards organized by shade. "If you want to toss my credit card into the fountain, I'll make a phone call and allow you to do it."

Phasma gave him a look of annoyance before leaning back against the bench and sighing. "Do you think he's ever been this late before?"

"I'm sure his girlfriend had to have a hand in this meaningless delay," Hux dropped his finished cigarette onto the ground before stomping on it with the heel of his shoe. He withdrew a new stick after deciding one was not enough to make his hatred subside. "I will be sure to report this to Mr. Snoke. If he didn't already know about Rey, I think it's time to either remove her or remove Ren." Phasma seemed visibly altered by his remark.

"I didn't know you hated her so much," she scoffed.

Hux shook his head. "I don't hate Rey. I respect her for subduing Kylo; we haven't had a destroyed office in weeks. However, I believe she's making him complacent. He's losing his tact and from First Order's most ruthless lawyer, I can't have that happening."

* * *

Poe returned to the courtroom without confronting Hux. He could not jeopardize Finn's case with his stupidity.

Sitting back down in his spot, Poe sighed and rested a Hand against Finn's tense shoulder. He rubbed the hard muscles and closed his eyes, listening to the din caused by angry lawyers and an annoyed jury.

An echoing bang silenced the room as the doors to the courtroom were flung open. Poe's eyes burst open and he turned to see Chu Bacca sprinting into the room, two police officers trying to tail him. Poe's eyes widened when the large man ran over to Han and began speaking rapidly in bursts of roaring Korean.

Han's eyes widened and he shook his head. "They did what?! And you're just now telling- my phone was off because I was in court!"

"What's going on?" Leia asked and Han bit his bottom lip, sliding his arms into his coat before whispering to the workers of Alliance, "Rey and Ben got into a car crash. They're at the hospital."


	21. The Fun in Malfunction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arguments, hospitals, and not-so-good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In need of inspiration. Am taking suggestions. Please comment whatever your predictions are and I'll consider each and every one of them.

The shouting had begun when Kylo had made a remark about Finn being guilty. He had declared something about the sentence being ten years in prison and Rey had set off on him, her anger flaring. Perhaps it had been the terrible weather or the overcast drifts of February snow that had set them both off or perhaps it was the remaining dregs of their last fight that had resurfaced. Either way, the argument had begun and neither party was backing down.

From the apartment to the parking lot, they argued, attracting unwanted eyes. Rey flinched at every terrible comment Kylo seethed before sending a volley of malicious words towards him. Neither meant what they said, but neither was willing to concede defeat.

Kylo went to his Mercedes and Rey watch from her Jeep, her knuckles clenched white against the steering wheel. What had been their plan to take one car became two and she started her engine, stabbing her keys into the slot and violently jerking the car awake. Her phone had buzzed as the black car her boyfriend owned shot out of the parking lot and trailed behind her white one.

Rey answered her phone with a shout, barking, "What?! What more could you possibly want to tell me?!" and the argument resumed from where they had let off.

"Maybe if you would just listen, you'd know that it'd be better for you to turn around and stay home!" Kylo's shout sent a wave of anger rushing through Rey. "It'll hurt less when I send your friend to pris-"

"What is your problem?! He didn't do anything!" Rey interjected, taking a turn to avoid the stare Kylo was giving her through his window. Their raised voices were enough to attract the eyes of a few others on the street, but Rey ignored them and continued her verbal assault.

They had been halfway to the courthouse when Rey noticed the car behind her was Han's Falcon… but the driver was not Han. Their argument had kept her too preoccupied to see who the driver was until Chu Bacca frowned at her and motioned if she was alright. Rey waved her hand in response as Kylo shouted something insignificant.

By some will of fate, Kylo and Rey were side by side on the road, shouting at each other through their phones while glaring death through their windows. If they both arrived at the courtroom alive, Rey feared their relationship would be over.

Kylo hung up on her while she was in the middle of her sentence. Furious, Rey had turned her head to look at him, and he had looked at her in defiance and anger. His car was lower to the ground than hers; Rey had the upper hand when glaring down at him.

Neither had noticed the signs telling them to mind a fallen tree until they were too close. The people moving the tree waved at them as their cars drew closer and Rey's eyes widened when she finally noticed the fallen debris. Using every ounce of strength she possessed, Rey twisted her steering wheel.

The car turned at the last moment, but before Rey could sigh in relief, she rammed into the side of Kylo's car, flipping both vehicles over and sending glass shattering. Screaming, Rey held onto the wheel, trying to keep herself from being violently tossed about. Her world slammed into darkness as a driving force punched her in the chest and pinned her body to the back of her seat.

* * *

Han and Leia ran into the hospital with Chu Bacca, the lawsuit forgotten, the court adjourned, and even more worry in their minds. Behind them were Finn and Poe, all rushing from the courthouse to the hospital. They pushed through doctors and past nurses to reach the front desk where a dark haired nurse sat.

Han nearly slammed into the desk before he addressed the nurse on duty. "I'm looking for two people who were just in a car crash- Ben Solo and Rey Kryze- how are they?!" he panted. The nurse looked up from her computer and crossed her hands. She wore blue scrubs with a pink lanyard, and smiled at them.

"What relation are you to the patients?" she asked, her voice soft. "I can't divulge any information unless you inform me of your rela-"

"We're Ben's parents!" Han fumbled for his wallet and removed his driver's license, nearly dropping it before pointing to his last name. "Han Solo! Father of Ben Solo! He's twenty-nine and was in a car crash!"

Finn and Poe stepped forward, placing their hands on the counter top, "We're Rey's roommates!" they shouted. "She lives with us! She's this tall," he pointed to a height around his ear, "and she's twenty-two!"

The nurse nodded at them, typing into her keyboard and speaking quietly into a small microphone. "Doctor Patel, please come to Emergency One," she repeated twice. The nurse was a young woman with dark hair and skin. She remained calm as the four people in front of the desk fretted.

A doctor came to greet them once temporary hospital IDs were issued. He wore a white coat that billowed behind him with each causal step. His smile was blindingly white and each step he took only made Han more nervous. "Hi, folks, how can I help you?" His voice was amiable, his movements relaxed, and he leaned against the front desk. Before Han could step forward, Leia began firing questions.

"Where is my son? Is he alright? What about his girlfriend? Are they both being treated? Why were we not notified of their accident?"

The doctor held his hands up as more questions from Finn and Poe mixed with Leia's. "Please," he stated quietly. "Miss Kryze is doing well. She's scratched up, but her airbag prevented her from sustaining any lasting injury. She will be released when her concussion results come back." The doctor accepted a clipboard of paper the nurse handed to him. He flipped through a few pages before nodding and looking at Han and Leia. "To the parents of Ben Solo, would you please follow me to my office? I will be able to explain your son's situation from there."

The doctor motioned for Leia and Han to follow him and they obliged, walking through a hallway to reach a well lit office with a skeleton in the corner. Doctor Patel moved behind his desk and motioned for Han and Leia to sit.

When everyone was in a seat, he began looking through a file on his desk before nodding. "I can tell you that there was a lot of damage. Your son is currently in surgery." The doctor's somewhat happy face was replaced by one of seriousness. Han's eyes widened and he looked at Leia who reflected the same surprise.

Han would have collapsed if he had not been sitting, and he moved to hold his wife's hand. Holding onto Leia, he stared at the no longer smiling doctor. "What do you mean 'there was a lot of damage?'" he breathed. Han felt as if he had been punched in the gut. His breathing hitched and he shook his head, denial washing over him. "Rey- his girlfriend- she's fine. Why is my son in surgery?"

The doctor nodded. "Miss Kryze was saved by the deploying of her airbag. Mr. Solo, however, was… not as… fortunate." He seemed to struggle with words and sighed. Leia frowned.

"Explain yourself."

The doctor scratched his chin and took a deep breath. "Your son's car malfunctioned; the airbags did not deploy and he was not wearing a seatbelt." Leia gasped and Han shook his head, but the doctor continued. "The entire windshield of his car broke and the glass caused lacerations over his body. His suit protected him from most damage on his appendicular skeleton, but his jacket was open and the glass from his windshield pierced his left side. From what we know, Mr. Solo is not suffering from internal damage, but he did lose quite a lot of blood.

"Because his airbag did not deploy and his seat belt was not there to hold him back, Mr. Ren's face, shoulder, and ribcage hit the steering wheel at full impact. His collarbone is broken from what we have seen, and his third and fourth ribs on his left were broken but did not puncture his lung. As for his head, a minor part of his anterior skull might have to be reconstructed based on the breakage. We also think part of his left mandible has to be replaced with a prosthetic."

The two parents remained silent, absorbing the information they had been given. Each second was agony and each moment felt like death. "Will he…" Leia began. She swallowed and took a shaky breath before questioning the inevitable. "What are his chances of survival?"

A few pages into the folder and an x-ray of a cracked skull later, Patel folded his hands over the desk, covering a paragraph. "Your son has a seventy percent chance of survival," he said. The relief on Han and Leia's face was almost enough to keep Patel from continuing. "However," he stated, noticing their worry return, "there is a high chance that he might be brain damaged. If his skull fragmented and the fragments of his skull pierced his brain, then depending on the lobe and the depth of the puncture, there is a chance that he might suffer from permanent mental and physical repercussions. I'm sorry."


	22. Let's Go Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one knows what's going on, but everyone agrees that Lee Hux is an asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for my shitty posting... life has been kicking me down. I haven't given up on this fic though! Updates may be slow, but I'm progressing! I promise :)

Finn sat beside Rey’s hospital bed to keep her company. In the shared room with three other male patients, Rey was the smallest person there. Curled into her bed and mostly hidden by sterile smelling sheets, she seemed even smaller than usual and Finn held her hand as she stared at the far wall, dejected and quiet. 

Her dark hair spilled over the pillow and gently flowed off the edge of the bed, pulled from the tri-knots she usually wore.

Judging by the looks of Rey’s new roommates and their minor injuries, Finn and Poe assumed they were fraternity boys. Frat boys who were already whispering about Rey in her state. No matter how capable Rey was, at the moment she was shaken and distressed, so Poe and Finn made sure that at least one of them would be with her until she was allowed to leave.

Under strict orders from the doctor, they were not allowed to let Rey sleep for the next five hours in case she had a concussion. Finn kept her awake with aimless chatter and by massaging her hand when her eyes drifted shut. She protested every time, but Finn succeeded in keeping her up.

At the moment, Poe had gone to fill out Rey’s paperwork and left Finn behind to keep her company. After a phone call to her parents, Rey had assured them she was fine and that they did not have to come to America to care for her. Then, she had curled into a fetal position and refused to utter another word.

A few cuts and scrapes aside, she was fine and being held in the hospital for cautionary reasons and to await the results of her concussion exam and x-rays. Finn looked at the bandages on Rey’s forehead and wrists as she held onto his hand. “H-how,” she finally broke her silence and Finn leaned towards her. “How is Kylo?” Her voice shook as much as her hands and she stared up at Finn with watery eyes. “I want to see him.”

Finn bit his bottom lip and looked down at Rey. He knew there was no use in lying to her. “Kylo’s in surgery right now,” he said.

“What?” she breathed, sitting up. The bedsheet fell away from her body and Finn adjusted the hospital gown that slipped from her shoulder, raising it. “What do you mean?”

“Rey, just… try to stay calm,” Finn said. He touched her shoulder and Rey stared with wide eyes, tilting her head in a small nod. Taking a deep breath, Finn told her what had happened. “You were saved by your airbags, but Kylo’s didn’t deploy. He’s in surgery having his skull reconstructed and- Rey!” Finn shouted for her as she swung off of the bed and lost her balance, nearly collapsing against the bed beside hers. The frat boy in it reached to help her up, but Finn was up in seconds, running around the bed to catch Rey. “Hey, where are you going,” he asked as Rey fell into his arms. She held her hands to her face and it was then that Finn realized she was crying.

“This is all my fault!” she sobbed, holding onto the sleeves of his shirt, her knuckles white. Tears streamed down her face as she cried against him. “I shouldn’t have yelled at him and- we were fighting- Finn, what if he dies?!”

Finn sighed as Rey released her pent up emotions against him. Poe stepped into the room with a clipboard and a pen. He froze when he saw his boyfriend and roommate on the floor. Finn hugged Rey as she sobbed against him, stroking her hair and holding her close.

“Sh, Rey, it’s alright,” he whispered as Poe sat down in a chair. “Kylo is going to be fine. He’s going to be alright. It’s alright.” Meaningless words of comfort came easily as Finn looked past Rey’s shoulder to where the eyes of three curious frat boys peered down at them.

Gently, Finn picked Rey up off the ground as her sobs subsided into little hiccups. “You’re tired, Rey. Go to sleep and we’ll get you home,” he murmured, motioning towards Poe to close the curtains. Swinging his hands back and forth, Finn raised his eyebrows at his boyfriend.

Poe understood immediately and reached out to shut the green barriers around Rey’s bed, cutting her off from the leers of the other patients. The closure provided Finn with relief and he hoped Rey felt a bit better knowing she was not being stared at by sophomores.

They sat together in the confines of the drawn curtains as Poe filled Rey’s paperwork out, the scratching of his pen and the tapping sound that came from hitting the cap against the clipboard the only sounds from either three. Rey’s soft sniffles subsided into hitched breathing until she finally fell silent.

Touching Poe’s shoulder, Finn muttered that he would get water and be back. His boyfriend nodded from the clipboard and Finn slipped past the rubbing alcohol scented drapes before leaving the room.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Finn exhaled and leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. He didn’t like seeing Rey so out of sorts, but to see her crying- it was too much.

Walking through the semi-bustling halls of the hospital, Finn managed to locate a water fountain beside a vending machine.

He leaned forward and pressed the lever on the fountain to take a sip of water but stopped when a weary Han Solo walked up to the vending machine with a wrinkled dollar in his hand. “Han,” Finn said as the older man attempted to slide the crumbled money into the machine. “Han.”

The former smuggler seemed to be oblivious to Finn. Biting his bottom lip, Finn watched Han fight with the machine that spat his dollar out try after try.

Reaching into his back pocket, Finn found his wallet and removed a new dollar and handed it to Han before taking the wrinkled money. “Han, are you alright?”

That was when Han’s stubborn expression dissipated as he leaned against the vending machine. Finn realized he had never seen the snarky old man as anything but mellow and happy until then. Now, Han Solo was afraid. “The doctors prolonged the surgery another two hours,” he whispered, rubbing his eyes. “Leia is distraught, I’m getting angry at a fucking machine and my son…” he trailed off.

Finn placed a hand on Han’s shoulder, trying to offer any help he could. “Kylo is going to be alright,” he said slowly. “He’s a big man and he’s got great doctors working to save him, Han. Your son will be alright.”

His words did little to comfort Han, but Finn felt the tense muscles beneath his shoulder relax by a fraction. They stood by the vending machine as it whirred and buzzed, sending a bottle of water out with a massive clatter and a thunk. “Let me get that for you,” Finn said when Han reached down to get the bottle.

Leaning forward, he snatched the ice cold bottle from the compartment beneath the machine and opened it before handing it to his tired boss. “Try to get some sleep if you can,” he said as Han closed his eyes and downed half the bottle in one gulp.

“I doubt anyone would be able to sleep while their child is being brought back from the dead,” said he. Han tucked the bottle beneath his arm and rested his eyes against the palms of his hands. Finn placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder.

“I really hope Kylo will be alright,” he said. “If there’s anything you need, just call Poe or me.”

Nodding, Han removed the bottle from beneath his elbow and sighed. “Make sure Rey is alright,” he sighed. “I’ll be here with Leia.”

Rey was allowed to leave within the hour.

With Finn’s arm around her and Poe’s arm at the small of her back, she was guided out of the hospital and toward a taxi that waited in the parking lot. None of them spoke except to tell the driver to go to Rey and Poe’s apartment.

* * *

Four hours after Rey’s departure from the hospital, Kylo was released from surgery, under heavy anesthetic and placed into a medically induced coma and quarantine.

Leia watched from outside the glass pane that separated her from her son as he laid in bed, bandages wrapped over his face and torso and arms. Holding onto Han for support, Leia sighed, pressing her fingers against the cool glass pane that kept her away from her son and the machine that kept him breathing.

Kylo’s chest rose in rhythm to the soft beeping of the heart rate monitor. Only one eye showed through the bandages- bruised and swollen. His crushed eyelashes fluttered and Leia wiped her eyes as her son continued to breathe.

“So it’s true,” came a voice from behind.

Leia swiveled to see Lee Hux standing with his hands behind his straight back. He wore the same clothes from the courtroom with an overcoat slung over his shoulders and a grimace on his face.

“Lee,” said Han.

“Han,” nodded Hux.

The redhead stepped forward, leaning to raise an eyebrow in Kylo’s direction. “I had heard…” he trailed off. “His chances of survival? How high are they?”

“What do you want?” Leia snapped. She had no patience for Hux’s haughty antics. “Why are you here?”

Hux’s passive face remained just that- passive. He neither looked in Leia’s direction nor stopped his scan of Kylo’s damaged body. “What I want,” he said, “is to know whether or not my friend is going to live and to know if I’ll have to replace his position or put him on extended leave.”

Leia held Han to keep him from lunging at Hux.


End file.
